Flight crew questioned about altitude assignment by departure controller.

Attributes
ACN	103873
Time
Date	198902
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bos tower : bos
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	103873
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Ground control issued a logan 6 departure out of bos to maintain 5000' for an IFR flight plan to acy. No pilot readback of clearance at bos unless there is a question. Altitude assigned was not questioned by us or clearance delivery. On departure, climbing through 3500', controller asked us who assigned us the altitude higher than the 3000' described on SID. It had been assigned but not confirmed by readback with clearance delivery. Recommend: full clearance readbacks at all airports, regardless of how busy the frequency is.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW QUESTIONED ABOUT ALT ASSIGNMENT BY DEP CTLR.

Narrative: GND CTL ISSUED A LOGAN 6 DEP OUT OF BOS TO MAINTAIN 5000' FOR AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ACY. NO PLT READBACK OF CLRNC AT BOS UNLESS THERE IS A QUESTION. ALT ASSIGNED WAS NOT QUESTIONED BY US OR CLRNC DELIVERY. ON DEP, CLBING THROUGH 3500', CTLR ASKED US WHO ASSIGNED US THE ALT HIGHER THAN THE 3000' DESCRIBED ON SID. IT HAD BEEN ASSIGNED BUT NOT CONFIRMED BY READBACK WITH CLRNC DELIVERY. RECOMMEND: FULL CLRNC READBACKS AT ALL ARPTS, REGARDLESS OF HOW BUSY THE FREQ IS.

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.