Departure controller issued wrong altitude. Flight crew returned to desired altitude.

Attributes
ACN	115382
Time
Date	198907
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax tower : phx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	115382
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	115383
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 5000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

After departing 24L at lax we leveled at 2000'. We were then cleared to 13,000' and read back 13,000'. The copilot immediately commented that normally they only clear us to 9000'. Approaching 9000' we had our medium large transport in sight and were going to pass behind him as we climbed to 13,000'. Passing 9000' plus a few hundred feet, departure control told us to maintain 9000' and that we had been cleared only to 9000'. We stated that we had been cleared to 13,000'. We were asked to call departure from our destination. Mr X informed me that we had in fact been cleared to 13,000' and that the problem was theirs and no further action was required by the flight crew.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP CTLR ISSUED WRONG ALT. FLT CREW RETURNED TO DESIRED ALT.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING 24L AT LAX WE LEVELED AT 2000'. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 13,000' AND READ BACK 13,000'. THE COPLT IMMEDIATELY COMMENTED THAT NORMALLY THEY ONLY CLEAR US TO 9000'. APCHING 9000' WE HAD OUR MLG IN SIGHT AND WERE GOING TO PASS BEHIND HIM AS WE CLIMBED TO 13,000'. PASSING 9000' PLUS A FEW HUNDRED FEET, DEP CTL TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 9000' AND THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED ONLY TO 9000'. WE STATED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 13,000'. WE WERE ASKED TO CALL DEP FROM OUR DEST. MR X INFORMED ME THAT WE HAD IN FACT BEEN CLRED TO 13,000' AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THEIRS AND NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED BY THE FLT CREW.

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.