Narrative:

Departed clt via the panther 6 departure (SID) which requires a climb to 8000 ft when departing runway 18L. We leveled at the selected altitude of 5000 ft. After a min or so at 5000 ft; the controller asked what altitude we were at. We responded 'level at 5000 ft.' he asked what altitude we were given. My first officer (PNF) responded that we had an expect altitude of 9000 ft. (This is not what the controller was asking.) the controller then said we should be at 8000 ft; climb and maintain 9000 ft. We then climbed to 9000 ft. Contributing factors: 1) I got to the hotel at XA00 the night before. I was supposed to be off duty until XN15 the next day along with the rest of my crew. Instead I was reassigned to fly this flight with a report time of XI20. I arrived at the airport feeling a little tired. 2) I had not flown the CRJ900 in almost 2 yrs. I was a little bit stressed about flying this aircraft. Probably the good kind of stress; just knowing that I was going to have to be a little more alert than usual; as far as the handling qualities of the aircraft. Most everything else is the same in the CRJ200 and 700 series that I usually fly. 3) my first officer was on line for less than 2 weeks. He was very weak in all aspects. From getting the ATIS and clearance to reading the airport diagram and talking on the radio to his situational awareness both on the ground and in the air. With the above factors I cannot say for certain that when I briefed the first officer on the flight; that I either briefed that the SID required a climb to 8000 ft and looked at the altitude preselect and thought I saw 8000 ft when in fact it showed 5000 ft; or I briefed 5000 ft and the preselect also showed 5000 ft. I; nor the first officer; never caught either mistake. I hate to say this; but my first officer for this flight; who I had never flown with; was very green and definitely not up to his thousands of hours and yrs of flying. He was more like a private pilot student. The quality of the first officer's graduating from company training the last few months has been the worst I've seen in the yrs I have been a captain. I am afraid that the pilot shortage that we are having is causing them to lower their standards and it is showing in the level of abilities I am seeing in 'new hires' lately. I expect that a first officer should be at a certain given level of proficiency. Lately; that level is just not there. It takes two to fly these jets; so as to catch each other's mistakes. I made this mistake; and am responsible for all mistakes as PIC. However; a sic is there as at least a backup. Unfortunately; I had to back him up for a slew of issues during our flight to and from ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ900 CAPT DETAILS AN ALTITUDE DEVIATION ON DEPARTURE FROM CLT; CITING INEXPERIENCED FO AND BEING TIRED AS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

Narrative: DEPARTED CLT VIA THE PANTHER 6 DEP (SID) WHICH REQUIRES A CLB TO 8000 FT WHEN DEPARTING RWY 18L. WE LEVELED AT THE SELECTED ALT OF 5000 FT. AFTER A MIN OR SO AT 5000 FT; THE CTLR ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE AT. WE RESPONDED 'LEVEL AT 5000 FT.' HE ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE GIVEN. MY FO (PNF) RESPONDED THAT WE HAD AN EXPECT ALT OF 9000 FT. (THIS IS NOT WHAT THE CTLR WAS ASKING.) THE CTLR THEN SAID WE SHOULD BE AT 8000 FT; CLB AND MAINTAIN 9000 FT. WE THEN CLBED TO 9000 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) I GOT TO THE HOTEL AT XA00 THE NIGHT BEFORE. I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OFF DUTY UNTIL XN15 THE NEXT DAY ALONG WITH THE REST OF MY CREW. INSTEAD I WAS REASSIGNED TO FLY THIS FLT WITH A RPT TIME OF XI20. I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT FEELING A LITTLE TIRED. 2) I HAD NOT FLOWN THE CRJ900 IN ALMOST 2 YRS. I WAS A LITTLE BIT STRESSED ABOUT FLYING THIS ACFT. PROBABLY THE GOOD KIND OF STRESS; JUST KNOWING THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE A LITTLE MORE ALERT THAN USUAL; AS FAR AS THE HANDLING QUALITIES OF THE ACFT. MOST EVERYTHING ELSE IS THE SAME IN THE CRJ200 AND 700 SERIES THAT I USUALLY FLY. 3) MY FO WAS ON LINE FOR LESS THAN 2 WKS. HE WAS VERY WEAK IN ALL ASPECTS. FROM GETTING THE ATIS AND CLRNC TO READING THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND TALKING ON THE RADIO TO HIS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS BOTH ON THE GND AND IN THE AIR. WITH THE ABOVE FACTORS I CANNOT SAY FOR CERTAIN THAT WHEN I BRIEFED THE FO ON THE FLT; THAT I EITHER BRIEFED THAT THE SID REQUIRED A CLB TO 8000 FT AND LOOKED AT THE ALT PRESELECT AND THOUGHT I SAW 8000 FT WHEN IN FACT IT SHOWED 5000 FT; OR I BRIEFED 5000 FT AND THE PRESELECT ALSO SHOWED 5000 FT. I; NOR THE FO; NEVER CAUGHT EITHER MISTAKE. I HATE TO SAY THIS; BUT MY FO FOR THIS FLT; WHO I HAD NEVER FLOWN WITH; WAS VERY GREEN AND DEFINITELY NOT UP TO HIS THOUSANDS OF HRS AND YRS OF FLYING. HE WAS MORE LIKE A PVT PLT STUDENT. THE QUALITY OF THE FO'S GRADUATING FROM COMPANY TRAINING THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAS BEEN THE WORST I'VE SEEN IN THE YRS I HAVE BEEN A CAPT. I AM AFRAID THAT THE PLT SHORTAGE THAT WE ARE HAVING IS CAUSING THEM TO LOWER THEIR STANDARDS AND IT IS SHOWING IN THE LEVEL OF ABILITIES I AM SEEING IN 'NEW HIRES' LATELY. I EXPECT THAT A FO SHOULD BE AT A CERTAIN GIVEN LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY. LATELY; THAT LEVEL IS JUST NOT THERE. IT TAKES TWO TO FLY THESE JETS; SO AS TO CATCH EACH OTHER'S MISTAKES. I MADE THIS MISTAKE; AND AM RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL MISTAKES AS PIC. HOWEVER; A SIC IS THERE AS AT LEAST A BACKUP. UNFORTUNATELY; I HAD TO BACK HIM UP FOR A SLEW OF ISSUES DURING OUR FLT TO AND FROM ZZZ.

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.