Narrative:

Ont clearance delivery cleared us pom 1 departure as filed, 12000', expect FL330(?) 10 mins after depart. The first officer and I discussed the climb restriction on pom 1 and agreed the 12000' removed the SID restrictions. When turned over to departure, reported 8300' for 12000'. Departure questioned our altitude, asked if we weren't told to comply with climb restrictions by clearance delivery and ordered us back to 7000'. I said we were cleared to 12000', pom 1, and that deleted the climb restrictions. Later called departure back, asked for telephone number and called supervisor when I arrived in sfo. It was a friendly discussion, no apparent conflict. Supervisor indicated they were trying to get clearance delivery to include phrase in clearance: 'comply with climb restrictions.' also, alert airline operators to potential problems. We made the mistake of making an assumption instead of calling clearance delivery for clarification. The captain I turned aircraft over to in sfo had made the same mistake the day before! Conclusion: I don't think I would have made that assumption if the cleared altitude (12000') were on the pom 1 page. Also most of our climb restrictions are at or above, rather than below. Many, if not most, of our departures today have the cleared altitude on the page, consequently no altitude is included in the clearance except higher after 10 mins, etc (ie, ord, den, etc). I think that would be the surest way to avoid this type of misunderstanding. Also, most of our crossing restrictions are at or above, creating a further trap. Supplemental information from acn 87912: the captain and I reviewed the departure procedure in detail and concurred that the clearance to 12000' obviated the altitude restriction of 7000' or below at karyn intersection. We even talked about that and then proceeded to remove the altitude restriction at karyn from the FMC. On climb out, 2 NM southeast of karyn intersection at 8300' MSL, departure clt (ont) informed us we were to cross karyn intersection at 7000' MSL or below and to descend back to 7000', which we did. The captain immediately called the ATC supervisor at ont departure control. ATC supervisor said there was no traffic conflict with our aircraft, but also acknowledged the fact that there were a number of aircraft in the past which were flown through the altitude constraint at karyn intersection, indicating the same misunderstanding/gray area existed with those flight crews.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FAILED TO COMPLY WITH POM 1 SID RESTRICTIONS. FLT CREW BELIEVED THAT ASSIGNMENT OF MAINTAIN ALT CANCELLED SID RESTRICTIONS.

Narrative: ONT CLRNC DELIVERY CLRED US POM 1 DEP AS FILED, 12000', EXPECT FL330(?) 10 MINS AFTER DEPART. THE F/O AND I DISCUSSED THE CLB RESTRICTION ON POM 1 AND AGREED THE 12000' REMOVED THE SID RESTRICTIONS. WHEN TURNED OVER TO DEP, RPTED 8300' FOR 12000'. DEP QUESTIONED OUR ALT, ASKED IF WE WEREN'T TOLD TO COMPLY WITH CLB RESTRICTIONS BY CLRNC DELIVERY AND ORDERED US BACK TO 7000'. I SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 12000', POM 1, AND THAT DELETED THE CLB RESTRICTIONS. LATER CALLED DEP BACK, ASKED FOR TELEPHONE NUMBER AND CALLED SUPVR WHEN I ARRIVED IN SFO. IT WAS A FRIENDLY DISCUSSION, NO APPARENT CONFLICT. SUPVR INDICATED THEY WERE TRYING TO GET CLRNC DELIVERY TO INCLUDE PHRASE IN CLRNC: 'COMPLY WITH CLB RESTRICTIONS.' ALSO, ALERT AIRLINE OPERATORS TO POTENTIAL PROBS. WE MADE THE MISTAKE OF MAKING AN ASSUMPTION INSTEAD OF CALLING CLRNC DELIVERY FOR CLARIFICATION. THE CAPT I TURNED ACFT OVER TO IN SFO HAD MADE THE SAME MISTAKE THE DAY BEFORE! CONCLUSION: I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE MADE THAT ASSUMPTION IF THE CLRED ALT (12000') WERE ON THE POM 1 PAGE. ALSO MOST OF OUR CLB RESTRICTIONS ARE AT OR ABOVE, RATHER THAN BELOW. MANY, IF NOT MOST, OF OUR DEPS TODAY HAVE THE CLRED ALT ON THE PAGE, CONSEQUENTLY NO ALT IS INCLUDED IN THE CLRNC EXCEPT HIGHER AFTER 10 MINS, ETC (IE, ORD, DEN, ETC). I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE SUREST WAY TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF MISUNDERSTANDING. ALSO, MOST OF OUR XING RESTRICTIONS ARE AT OR ABOVE, CREATING A FURTHER TRAP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 87912: THE CAPT AND I REVIEWED THE DEP PROC IN DETAIL AND CONCURRED THAT THE CLRNC TO 12000' OBVIATED THE ALT RESTRICTION OF 7000' OR BELOW AT KARYN INTXN. WE EVEN TALKED ABOUT THAT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO REMOVE THE ALT RESTRICTION AT KARYN FROM THE FMC. ON CLBOUT, 2 NM SE OF KARYN INTXN AT 8300' MSL, DEP CLT (ONT) INFORMED US WE WERE TO CROSS KARYN INTXN AT 7000' MSL OR BELOW AND TO DSND BACK TO 7000', WHICH WE DID. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE ATC SUPVR AT ONT DEP CTL. ATC SUPVR SAID THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT WITH OUR ACFT, BUT ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ACFT IN THE PAST WHICH WERE FLOWN THROUGH THE ALT CONSTRAINT AT KARYN INTXN, INDICATING THE SAME MISUNDERSTANDING/GRAY AREA EXISTED WITH THOSE FLT CREWS.

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.