Narrative:

We were number 1 for takeoff on runway 23R, when the tower said taxi into position and hold. About 1 minute later we heard a scratchy carrier no voice at all. We said tower if that was for us you're totally unreadable. That was again followed by a scratchy carrier, we again told the tower they were unreadable. About another 15 to 20 seconds went by when the tower said, 'how do you read?' we said loud and clear. Tower said turn right to 290 degree cleared for takeoff. After departure we were handed off to departure control. Going thru 2500' departure said maintain 2000', I acknowledged by saying roger back down to 2000. At this point a different controller, apparently a supervisor came on and said continue the climb to 4000' and make no turns left, I acknowledged, controller then said you were assigned 2000'. I acknowledged by saying no sir!, we were cleared to 5000', controller said roger. Cause and corrective action. Standard clearance on clearance delivery is cleared as filed fly runway heading maintain 5000' expect filed altitude 10 min after departure. Raleigh many times when they clear you for takeoff on runway 23R will also say turn right 290 degree maintain 2000' but sometimes you will proceed as you were cleared from clearance delivery. There is no standard. I assume during the unreadable transmissions from tower he told us to maintain 2000'. But in his haste after reestablishing radio contact forgot to tell us. Corrective action. All departures maintain 2000' initially, and receive this from clearance delivery, and let departure control clear you to a higher altitude as appropriate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR COMMUTER SMT CONTINUED CLIMB ABOVE ALT THAT DEP CTLR THOUGHT WAS THE CLRNC ALT. TWO TWR TRANSMISSIONS WERE GARBLED BEFORE TKOF AND NO ALT ASSIGNMENT WAS GIVEN WITH THE TKOF CLRNC. SID SAYS MAINTAIN 5000 OR ASSIGNED.

Narrative: WE WERE NUMBER 1 FOR TKOF ON RWY 23R, WHEN THE TWR SAID TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. ABOUT 1 MINUTE LATER WE HEARD A SCRATCHY CARRIER NO VOICE AT ALL. WE SAID TWR IF THAT WAS FOR US YOU'RE TOTALLY UNREADABLE. THAT WAS AGAIN FOLLOWED BY A SCRATCHY CARRIER, WE AGAIN TOLD THE TWR THEY WERE UNREADABLE. ABOUT ANOTHER 15 TO 20 SECONDS WENT BY WHEN THE TWR SAID, 'HOW DO YOU READ?' WE SAID LOUD AND CLR. TWR SAID TURN RIGHT TO 290 DEG CLRED FOR TKOF. AFTER DEP WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL. GOING THRU 2500' DEP SAID MAINTAIN 2000', I ACKNOWLEDGED BY SAYING ROGER BACK DOWN TO 2000. AT THIS POINT A DIFFERENT CTLR, APPARENTLY A SUPVR CAME ON AND SAID CONTINUE THE CLB TO 4000' AND MAKE NO TURNS LEFT, I ACKNOWLEDGED, CTLR THEN SAID YOU WERE ASSIGNED 2000'. I ACKNOWLEDGED BY SAYING NO SIR!, WE WERE CLRED TO 5000', CTLR SAID ROGER. CAUSE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION. STANDARD CLRNC ON CLRNC DELIVERY IS CLRED AS FILED FLY RWY HDG MAINTAIN 5000' EXPECT FILED ALT 10 MIN AFTER DEP. RALEIGH MANY TIMES WHEN THEY CLR YOU FOR TKOF ON RWY 23R WILL ALSO SAY TURN RIGHT 290 DEG MAINTAIN 2000' BUT SOMETIMES YOU WILL PROCEED AS YOU WERE CLRED FROM CLRNC DELIVERY. THERE IS NO STANDARD. I ASSUME DURING THE UNREADABLE TRANSMISSIONS FROM TWR HE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 2000'. BUT IN HIS HASTE AFTER REESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT FORGOT TO TELL US. CORRECTIVE ACTION. ALL DEPS MAINTAIN 2000' INITIALLY, AND RECEIVE THIS FROM CLRNC DELIVERY, AND LET DEP CTL CLR YOU TO A HIGHER ALT AS APPROPRIATE.

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.