Flight crew of a widebody transport aircraft overshot the altitude that ATC believed to be the clear...

Narrative:

We were operating en route from bwi to ZZZ. We were being controled by washington ARTCC and step-climbing to altitude. We were on J6 approximately 90 mi from hvq when the controller cleared us to continue our climb to FL330. At that point we were around FL270. I read back FL330 and looked and saw the PF had dialed FL330 into the fcp altitude window while I was reading back the clearance. When I finished with the ATC readback; I verbally confirmed the set altitude with the PF per company SOP's. Passing FL323; ATC called us and asked our altitude. I stated 'passing FL323 for FL330.' the controller let us level at FL330 and stated he 'thought' he cleared us for FL300. I stated we thought he cleared us to FL330. He then asked what altitude we would like as a final; and I stated FL330 would be fine. He gave us the option of FL320 or FL340; we chose FL340 and he reclred us to climb to FL340. At FL340 the captain and I discussed the matter and both agreed we heard FL330 and that I read back FL330. There was no traffic conflict caused by the error (ours or ATC's -- not sure). We also noted that if our clearance was to FL300 the controller allowed us to deviate 2300 ft before asking us our altitude. This flight was our second leg in a morning out and back ZZZ-bwi-ZZZ. We showed for the trip at XA00. The captain stated he had gotten about 4 hours of sleep before the trip. I believe I had around the same possibly less. We were definitely tired; and if it was our mistake fatigue would be a big factor. Since we both thought we heard FL330; I can't think of anything we would have done differently; we followed ATC and company procedures. As I mentioned above; the controller let us deviate 2300 ft from the altitude he thought he assigned us before calling to question us making me question his level of alertness. There was obviously a communication problem between us the air crew and ATC with possible fatigue and attentiveness issues as factors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF A WIDEBODY TRANSPORT ACFT OVERSHOT THE ALT THAT ATC BELIEVED TO BE THE CLEARED ALT. NO TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED AND CLRNC WAS ISSUED TO ANOTHER CRUISE ALT.

Narrative: WE WERE OPERATING ENRTE FROM BWI TO ZZZ. WE WERE BEING CTLED BY WASHINGTON ARTCC AND STEP-CLBING TO ALT. WE WERE ON J6 APPROX 90 MI FROM HVQ WHEN THE CTLR CLRED US TO CONTINUE OUR CLB TO FL330. AT THAT POINT WE WERE AROUND FL270. I READ BACK FL330 AND LOOKED AND SAW THE PF HAD DIALED FL330 INTO THE FCP ALT WINDOW WHILE I WAS READING BACK THE CLRNC. WHEN I FINISHED WITH THE ATC READBACK; I VERBALLY CONFIRMED THE SET ALT WITH THE PF PER COMPANY SOP'S. PASSING FL323; ATC CALLED US AND ASKED OUR ALT. I STATED 'PASSING FL323 FOR FL330.' THE CTLR LET US LEVEL AT FL330 AND STATED HE 'THOUGHT' HE CLRED US FOR FL300. I STATED WE THOUGHT HE CLRED US TO FL330. HE THEN ASKED WHAT ALT WE WOULD LIKE AS A FINAL; AND I STATED FL330 WOULD BE FINE. HE GAVE US THE OPTION OF FL320 OR FL340; WE CHOSE FL340 AND HE RECLRED US TO CLB TO FL340. AT FL340 THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE MATTER AND BOTH AGREED WE HEARD FL330 AND THAT I READ BACK FL330. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT CAUSED BY THE ERROR (OURS OR ATC'S -- NOT SURE). WE ALSO NOTED THAT IF OUR CLRNC WAS TO FL300 THE CTLR ALLOWED US TO DEVIATE 2300 FT BEFORE ASKING US OUR ALT. THIS FLT WAS OUR SECOND LEG IN A MORNING OUT AND BACK ZZZ-BWI-ZZZ. WE SHOWED FOR THE TRIP AT XA00. THE CAPT STATED HE HAD GOTTEN ABOUT 4 HRS OF SLEEP BEFORE THE TRIP. I BELIEVE I HAD AROUND THE SAME POSSIBLY LESS. WE WERE DEFINITELY TIRED; AND IF IT WAS OUR MISTAKE FATIGUE WOULD BE A BIG FACTOR. SINCE WE BOTH THOUGHT WE HEARD FL330; I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING WE WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY; WE FOLLOWED ATC AND COMPANY PROCS. AS I MENTIONED ABOVE; THE CTLR LET US DEVIATE 2300 FT FROM THE ALT HE THOUGHT HE ASSIGNED US BEFORE CALLING TO QUESTION US MAKING ME QUESTION HIS LEVEL OF ALERTNESS. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A COM PROB BTWN US THE AIR CREW AND ATC WITH POSSIBLE FATIGUE AND ATTENTIVENESS ISSUES AS FACTORS.

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.

Attributes
ACN	783633
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : hvq.vortac
State Reference	WV
Altitude	msl single value : 32300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1518 flight time type : 184
ASRS Report	783633
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Flight crew of a widebody transport aircraft overshot the altitude that ATC believed to be the cleared altitude. No traffic conflict occurred and clearance was issued to another cruise altitude.