Narrative:

Just after takeoff from slc R34L, initially cleared to maintain 8000 and switched to departure control. While performing my climb check and scan of second officer panel I heard departure control clear someone to climb and maintain 16,000 but I can't say for sure it was us because my attention was momentarily diverted to the pressurization panel. Climbing through 8500 departure said, 'I told you to maintain 8000'. The copilot replied 'negative, on initial contact you cleared us to climb and maintain 16,000'. The controller then immediately issued 'traffic 1 O'clock, sebnd aircraft Y level niner thousand'. Never stated the distance of the closing traffic. By which time we were out of 9300. Approximately 10 seconds later the controller admitted he had cleared us to 16,000, his mistake, and that the aircraft Y also had visual on us. The copilot replied 'no problem'. The captain confirmed the initial departure clearance from radar of 16,000. As second officer in the future I'll try to write down the altitude clrncs as we go along. As an ex-controller I can understand the error as we were the only 2 aircraft on frequency, you tend to relax. An old controller, about to retire, once gave me some wisdom, he said 'beware the day you have only 2 aircraft on your scope, so that they don't meet'.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN 2 ACFT. ONE ON DEP AND ONE N ARR.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TKOF FROM SLC R34L, INITIALLY CLRED TO MAINTAIN 8000 AND SWITCHED TO DEP CTL. WHILE PERFORMING MY CLIMB CHECK AND SCAN OF S/O PANEL I HEARD DEP CTL CLEAR SOMEONE TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 16,000 BUT I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE IT WAS US BECAUSE MY ATTN WAS MOMENTARILY DIVERTED TO THE PRESSURIZATION PANEL. CLIMBING THROUGH 8500 DEP SAID, 'I TOLD YOU TO MAINTAIN 8000'. THE COPLT REPLIED 'NEGATIVE, ON INITIAL CONTACT YOU CLRED US TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 16,000'. THE CTLR THEN IMMEDIATELY ISSUED 'TFC 1 O'CLOCK, SEBND ACFT Y LEVEL NINER THOUSAND'. NEVER STATED THE DISTANCE OF THE CLOSING TFC. BY WHICH TIME WE WERE OUT OF 9300. APPROX 10 SECONDS LATER THE CTLR ADMITTED HE HAD CLRED US TO 16,000, HIS MISTAKE, AND THAT THE ACFT Y ALSO HAD VISUAL ON US. THE COPLT REPLIED 'NO PROBLEM'. THE CAPT CONFIRMED THE INITIAL DEP CLRNC FROM RADAR OF 16,000. AS S/O IN THE FUTURE I'LL TRY TO WRITE DOWN THE ALT CLRNCS AS WE GO ALONG. AS AN EX-CTLR I CAN UNDERSTAND THE ERROR AS WE WERE THE ONLY 2 ACFT ON FREQ, YOU TEND TO RELAX. AN OLD CTLR, ABOUT TO RETIRE, ONCE GAVE ME SOME WISDOM, HE SAID 'BEWARE THE DAY YOU HAVE ONLY 2 ACFT ON YOUR SCOPE, SO THAT THEY DON'T MEET'.

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.