Narrative:

Our clearance was the pecop 1 RNAV departure and to expect FL410 10 mins after departure. The altitude shown on the chart is to ultimately climb to 15000 ft after adhering to 3 climbing restrs when departing runway 16R. It was the first officer's leg; and the takeoff was uneventful. During the climb out phase; prior to wazer waypoint and while passing through approximately 12000 ft; we were informed by slc departure control that we had 'busted the altitude.' both the first officer and myself looked at our departure procedure to quickly realize that we had in fact busted the altitude restr for wazer intersection which shows an at or below 10000 ft. We were then told to maintain 12000 ft and ask when ready to copy a phone number (what a horrible feeling). We were subsequently handed off to the center controller and the flight continued uneventfully. Contributing factors to the event that took place: 1) slc had just started RNAV departure procedures. 2) new RNAV departure procedures meant both crew members were unfamiliar with departure procedure. 3) when the first officer received and then later briefed the departure procedure and the initial climb altitude; he mistook the 'at or below 10000 ft at wazer' waypoint to be an 'at or above 10000 ft at wazer' because it somewhat coincided with the next 2 crossing restrs which are both 'at or above restrs;' so as a result 15000 ft was placed in the altitude window. A simple mistake. 4) my mistake was not thoroughly checking the departure procedure restr altitudes; especially for a new procedure in effect. Lesson learned: new procedures in effect should be a red flag to check and rechk what you're about to do. In some cases they might contain an unintentional 'gotcha.' it doesn't matter how familiar one is with the airport or the old procedures; a new procedure is just that -- new. From my understanding after talking with dispatch on the day of the event; approximately 3-4 other flts out of slc that day did the same thing (altitude deviation). After our event; dispatch began informing crews of the altitude restrs on the various slc RNAV departures in the 'notes' section of the release. Also; the WX packet was going to be printed with this information on the front page. These are 2 excellent ways to help inform crews of new procedures in effect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW MISTOOK THE ALT RESTRICTION AT WAZER ON THE PECOP ONE RNAV DEP FOR AN 'AT OR ABOVE' RESTRICTION; AND CLIMBED ABOVE 10000 FT.

Narrative: OUR CLRNC WAS THE PECOP 1 RNAV DEP AND TO EXPECT FL410 10 MINS AFTER DEP. THE ALT SHOWN ON THE CHART IS TO ULTIMATELY CLB TO 15000 FT AFTER ADHERING TO 3 CLBING RESTRS WHEN DEPARTING RWY 16R. IT WAS THE FO'S LEG; AND THE TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING THE CLBOUT PHASE; PRIOR TO WAZER WAYPOINT AND WHILE PASSING THROUGH APPROX 12000 FT; WE WERE INFORMED BY SLC DEP CTL THAT WE HAD 'BUSTED THE ALT.' BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF LOOKED AT OUR DEP PROC TO QUICKLY REALIZE THAT WE HAD IN FACT BUSTED THE ALT RESTR FOR WAZER INTXN WHICH SHOWS AN AT OR BELOW 10000 FT. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO MAINTAIN 12000 FT AND ASK WHEN READY TO COPY A PHONE NUMBER (WHAT A HORRIBLE FEELING). WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY HANDED OFF TO THE CTR CTLR AND THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE: 1) SLC HAD JUST STARTED RNAV DEP PROCS. 2) NEW RNAV DEP PROCS MEANT BOTH CREW MEMBERS WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH DEP PROC. 3) WHEN THE FO RECEIVED AND THEN LATER BRIEFED THE DEP PROC AND THE INITIAL CLB ALT; HE MISTOOK THE 'AT OR BELOW 10000 FT AT WAZER' WAYPOINT TO BE AN 'AT OR ABOVE 10000 FT AT WAZER' BECAUSE IT SOMEWHAT COINCIDED WITH THE NEXT 2 XING RESTRS WHICH ARE BOTH 'AT OR ABOVE RESTRS;' SO AS A RESULT 15000 FT WAS PLACED IN THE ALT WINDOW. A SIMPLE MISTAKE. 4) MY MISTAKE WAS NOT THOROUGHLY CHKING THE DEP PROC RESTR ALTS; ESPECIALLY FOR A NEW PROC IN EFFECT. LESSON LEARNED: NEW PROCS IN EFFECT SHOULD BE A RED FLAG TO CHK AND RECHK WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO. IN SOME CASES THEY MIGHT CONTAIN AN UNINTENTIONAL 'GOTCHA.' IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAMILIAR ONE IS WITH THE ARPT OR THE OLD PROCS; A NEW PROC IS JUST THAT -- NEW. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING AFTER TALKING WITH DISPATCH ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT; APPROX 3-4 OTHER FLTS OUT OF SLC THAT DAY DID THE SAME THING (ALTDEV). AFTER OUR EVENT; DISPATCH BEGAN INFORMING CREWS OF THE ALT RESTRS ON THE VARIOUS SLC RNAV DEPS IN THE 'NOTES' SECTION OF THE RELEASE. ALSO; THE WX PACKET WAS GOING TO BE PRINTED WITH THIS INFO ON THE FRONT PAGE. THESE ARE 2 EXCELLENT WAYS TO HELP INFORM CREWS OF NEW PROCS IN EFFECT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.