Narrative:

El paso clearance del:cleared to salt lake city airport, full route clearance, radar vectors tcs, direct gup, direct hve, direct slc, maintain 7000', expect FL350 10 mins after departure, departure control frequency 118.3 squawk. After takeoff, fly heading 070 degrees. I read the above clearance back as written above. El paso clearance del responded: 'readback correct.' runway 08 in use at the time. Winds reported calm. Several mins later, I requested if runway 04 would be available (while still at the gate). El paso clearance del replied: 'affirmative, I'll forward your request for runway 04.' no amendments or changes to the original clearance were issued until receiving takeoff clearance from tower. Approximately 25 mins later we departed runway 04 with the following instructions from el paso tower: 'after takeoff turn left heading 330 degrees, cleared for takeoff.' while in a left turn to 330 degrees after takeoff, combined tower/departure control said: 'radar contact, turn left heading 300 degrees.' we responded by acknowledging the heading and 'leaving 6 for 7000.' aircraft was leveled off at 7000' MSL. Captain asked controller the elevation of the terrain below us. Tower replied: '5800'.' after approximately 1 min level at 7000' MSL, the radar altimeter light came on indicating terrain less than 2500'. A climb was immediately initiated when the GPWS warned: 'terrain, terrain.' ATC was advised we were climbing. ATC replied: 'verify you're climbing to one seven thousand.' captain replied that we were issued 7000'. ATC replied: 'climb and maintain one seven thousand.' ATC said later the controller working clearance del 'has gone home now. I'll check with him in the morning.' would have possibly been fatal had 7000' altitude been maintained for any longer. Supplemental information from acn 95621: due to the high terrain west of elp in excess of 7000', I called the controller leaving 6000' for 7000. His reply was, 'thank you.' I instructed the first officer who was the PF to climb! He did not response. When to radar altimeter read 2000' AGL I took control of the aircraft and started a climb. The controller said: 'climb and maintain 17000'.' then he said: 'confirm you were cleared to 17000 and not 7000'.' the first officer maintained we had a clearance limit of 7000'. I then conveyed this to the controller. The controller said he was the replacement for the controller who given us the clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CONTROLLED FLT TOWARD TERRAIN DURING NIGHT DEP FROM ELP.

Narrative: EL PASO CLRNC DEL:CLRED TO SALT LAKE CITY ARPT, FULL RTE CLRNC, RADAR VECTORS TCS, DIRECT GUP, DIRECT HVE, DIRECT SLC, MAINTAIN 7000', EXPECT FL350 10 MINS AFTER DEP, DEP CTL FREQ 118.3 SQUAWK. AFTER TKOF, FLY HDG 070 DEGS. I READ THE ABOVE CLRNC BACK AS WRITTEN ABOVE. EL PASO CLRNC DEL RESPONDED: 'READBACK CORRECT.' RWY 08 IN USE AT THE TIME. WINDS RPTED CALM. SEVERAL MINS LATER, I REQUESTED IF RWY 04 WOULD BE AVAILABLE (WHILE STILL AT THE GATE). EL PASO CLRNC DEL REPLIED: 'AFFIRMATIVE, I'LL FORWARD YOUR REQUEST FOR RWY 04.' NO AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES TO THE ORIGINAL CLRNC WERE ISSUED UNTIL RECEIVING TKOF CLRNC FROM TWR. APPROX 25 MINS LATER WE DEPARTED RWY 04 WITH THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FROM EL PASO TWR: 'AFTER TKOF TURN LEFT HDG 330 DEGS, CLRED FOR TKOF.' WHILE IN A LEFT TURN TO 330 DEGS AFTER TKOF, COMBINED TWR/DEP CTL SAID: 'RADAR CONTACT, TURN LEFT HDG 300 DEGS.' WE RESPONDED BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE HDG AND 'LEAVING 6 FOR 7000.' ACFT WAS LEVELED OFF AT 7000' MSL. CAPT ASKED CTLR THE ELEVATION OF THE TERRAIN BELOW US. TWR REPLIED: '5800'.' AFTER APPROX 1 MIN LEVEL AT 7000' MSL, THE RADAR ALTIMETER LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING TERRAIN LESS THAN 2500'. A CLB WAS IMMEDIATELY INITIATED WHEN THE GPWS WARNED: 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN.' ATC WAS ADVISED WE WERE CLBING. ATC REPLIED: 'VERIFY YOU'RE CLBING TO ONE SEVEN THOUSAND.' CAPT REPLIED THAT WE WERE ISSUED 7000'. ATC REPLIED: 'CLB AND MAINTAIN ONE SEVEN THOUSAND.' ATC SAID LATER THE CTLR WORKING CLRNC DEL 'HAS GONE HOME NOW. I'LL CHK WITH HIM IN THE MORNING.' WOULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN FATAL HAD 7000' ALT BEEN MAINTAINED FOR ANY LONGER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 95621: DUE TO THE HIGH TERRAIN W OF ELP IN EXCESS OF 7000', I CALLED THE CTLR LEAVING 6000' FOR 7000. HIS REPLY WAS, 'THANK YOU.' I INSTRUCTED THE F/O WHO WAS THE PF TO CLB! HE DID NOT RESPONSE. WHEN TO RADAR ALTIMETER READ 2000' AGL I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND STARTED A CLB. THE CTLR SAID: 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 17000'.' THEN HE SAID: 'CONFIRM YOU WERE CLRED TO 17000 AND NOT 7000'.' THE F/O MAINTAINED WE HAD A CLRNC LIMIT OF 7000'. I THEN CONVEYED THIS TO THE CTLR. THE CTLR SAID HE WAS THE REPLACEMENT FOR THE CTLR WHO GIVEN US THE CLRNC.

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.