Air carrier widebody transport given new altitude assignment late by departure controller and overshot. Had less than standard separation with another aircraft in the TCA, possible ATC coordination problem.

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Attributes
ACN	86350
Time
Date	198804
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4200 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca tower : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	86350
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 3100
ASRS Report	86352
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Intra Facility Coordination Failure Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

On takeoff we were cleared to 5000'. After switching over to departure control and passing through 3800' departure control told us to level at 4000'. I pushed the aircraft over and by the time we got it back down to 4000', we had climbed to 4200'. Departure control queried us as to what altitude we had been cleared to by tower. We said 5000', and he said we had traffic at 12 O'clock, 1/2 mi at 4500'. It sounds like departure control coordinated a hold down with tower that wasn't passed to us. Supplemental information from acn 86352: on departure from dca we were climbing up the river to 5000', our clearance altitude. Upon switching to departure control at 3900', we were told to level immediately at 4000' for traffic at 4500'. We had already seen the traffic about 2 mi away and had started leveling before the transmission from departure. The aircraft passed over us at about 300'. I think we need better communication between departure and tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB GIVEN NEW ALT ASSIGNMENT LATE BY DEP CTLR AND OVERSHOT. HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN THE TCA, POSSIBLE ATC COORD PROBLEM.

Narrative: ON TKOF WE WERE CLRED TO 5000'. AFTER SWITCHING OVER TO DEP CTL AND PASSING THROUGH 3800' DEP CTL TOLD US TO LEVEL AT 4000'. I PUSHED THE ACFT OVER AND BY THE TIME WE GOT IT BACK DOWN TO 4000', WE HAD CLBED TO 4200'. DEP CTL QUERIED US AS TO WHAT ALT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO BY TWR. WE SAID 5000', AND HE SAID WE HAD TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK, 1/2 MI AT 4500'. IT SOUNDS LIKE DEP CTL COORDINATED A HOLD DOWN WITH TWR THAT WASN'T PASSED TO US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 86352: ON DEP FROM DCA WE WERE CLBING UP THE RIVER TO 5000', OUR CLRNC ALT. UPON SWITCHING TO DEP CTL AT 3900', WE WERE TOLD TO LEVEL IMMEDIATELY AT 4000' FOR TFC AT 4500'. WE HAD ALREADY SEEN THE TFC ABOUT 2 MI AWAY AND HAD STARTED LEVELING BEFORE THE XMISSION FROM DEP. THE ACFT PASSED OVER US AT ABOUT 300'. I THINK WE NEED BETTER COM BTWN DEP AND TWR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.