Narrative:

Clearance departing jfk was the jfk 2 departure, bridge climb, wayey, plume V308 bilet direct, maintain 5000', expect 220.... In addition to the stated 5000' initial altitude, the SID calls for an altitude of 5000' when given the bridge climb. The SID also calls for a turn as soon as practicable to the bridge NDB. Departing runway 31L at jfk, this is about an 80 degree left turn to a heading of about 230 degree. After takeoff, having begun our left turn, passing about 290 and climbing through 600-700', the tower cleared us to 'stop your turn, maintain 290 degree, maintain 4000'.' as I leveled the wings, our heading was 270 degree, so I began a right turn back to 290 degree. The tower then asked if we were on a 290 degree heading. My copilot answered that we were 'turning to 290, yes sir'. Tower misinterpreted, thought we were on 290, so turned us further right to 320. Passing 3000', tower says maintain 2000' contact departure on XXXX. My copilot looked at me in surprise as I began leveling the aircraft, then told tower that he had cleared us to 4000'. Tower was real flustered now, confirmed that we were at 3200', then told us to maintain 3000', which we did. Then (at the same time) he cleared us direct to canarsie (cri) and to contact departure. We contacted departure and he and we confirmed just what we were supposed to be doing. We also obtained his phone number and later that day, I called and spoke with the departure supervisor concerning the events. As it turned out, he was not at all happy with the lack of coordination from the tower to departure. Evidently, tower launched us, then remembered that he had conflicting traffic inbound from the ssw so he had us head northwest. But here, there was an lga inbound at 4000', which was why he got flustered about the altitude. Scary to consider what could have occurred. He did however clear us to 4000' initially. Was there a conflict alert? I don't know.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFLICTING DIRECTIONS FROM TWR TO FLT CREW DEPARTING RWY 31 AT JFK CAUSED MISSED ALT AND MISSED HEADING. TWR FAILED TO COORDINATE WITH DEP CTL.

Narrative: CLRNC DEPARTING JFK WAS THE JFK 2 DEP, BRIDGE CLIMB, WAYEY, PLUME V308 BILET DIRECT, MAINTAIN 5000', EXPECT 220.... IN ADDITION TO THE STATED 5000' INITIAL ALT, THE SID CALLS FOR AN ALT OF 5000' WHEN GIVEN THE BRIDGE CLIMB. THE SID ALSO CALLS FOR A TURN AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE TO THE BRIDGE NDB. DEPARTING RWY 31L AT JFK, THIS IS ABOUT AN 80 DEG LEFT TURN TO A HDG OF ABOUT 230 DEG. AFTER TKOF, HAVING BEGUN OUR LEFT TURN, PASSING ABOUT 290 AND CLIMBING THROUGH 600-700', THE TWR CLRED US TO 'STOP YOUR TURN, MAINTAIN 290 DEG, MAINTAIN 4000'.' AS I LEVELED THE WINGS, OUR HDG WAS 270 DEG, SO I BEGAN A RIGHT TURN BACK TO 290 DEG. THE TWR THEN ASKED IF WE WERE ON A 290 DEG HDG. MY COPLT ANSWERED THAT WE WERE 'TURNING TO 290, YES SIR'. TWR MISINTERPRETED, THOUGHT WE WERE ON 290, SO TURNED US FURTHER RIGHT TO 320. PASSING 3000', TWR SAYS MAINTAIN 2000' CONTACT DEP ON XXXX. MY COPLT LOOKED AT ME IN SURPRISE AS I BEGAN LEVELING THE ACFT, THEN TOLD TWR THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO 4000'. TWR WAS REAL FLUSTERED NOW, CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE AT 3200', THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 3000', WHICH WE DID. THEN (AT THE SAME TIME) HE CLRED US DIRECT TO CANARSIE (CRI) AND TO CONTACT DEP. WE CONTACTED DEP AND HE AND WE CONFIRMED JUST WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. WE ALSO OBTAINED HIS PHONE NUMBER AND LATER THAT DAY, I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH THE DEP SUPVR CONCERNING THE EVENTS. AS IT TURNED OUT, HE WAS NOT AT ALL HAPPY WITH THE LACK OF COORD FROM THE TWR TO DEP. EVIDENTLY, TWR LAUNCHED US, THEN REMEMBERED THAT HE HAD CONFLICTING TFC INBND FROM THE SSW SO HE HAD US HEAD NW. BUT HERE, THERE WAS AN LGA INBND AT 4000', WHICH WAS WHY HE GOT FLUSTERED ABOUT THE ALT. SCARY TO CONSIDER WHAT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. HE DID HOWEVER CLEAR US TO 4000' INITIALLY. WAS THERE A CONFLICT ALERT? I DON'T KNOW.

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.