Altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	123258
Time
Date	198909
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : n90
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	123258
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	123340
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

First officer was flying departure out of la guardia airport. Departure control (120.4) gave us a climb clearance to 15,000', then turned us over to 120.85. The captain checked in with them and stated we were level at 15,000'. The controller replied with roger, climb to 17,000'. The captain read back the clearance with our call sign, leaving 15,000 for 17,000. There was no reply as to anything abnormal. As we were passing through 16,000, the controller asked for our altitude and he stated to level off back to 15,000. We complied and when level at 15,000, the controller again asked for our altitude. We stated level 15,000. He said we were to level off at 16,000. He then handed us over to another frequency and we received clearance to climb to 17,000. The controller on frequency 120.85 was not using standard terminology plus his transmitter was weak and scratchy, which may have caused us to not hear the correct call sign. However, the captain repeated all clrncs back to the controller for verification and no negative replies were made by the controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION.

Narrative: F/O WAS FLYING DEP OUT OF LA GUARDIA ARPT. DEP CTL (120.4) GAVE US A CLIMB CLRNC TO 15,000', THEN TURNED US OVER TO 120.85. THE CAPT CHECKED IN WITH THEM AND STATED WE WERE LEVEL AT 15,000'. THE CTLR REPLIED WITH ROGER, CLIMB TO 17,000'. THE CAPT READ BACK THE CLRNC WITH OUR CALL SIGN, LEAVING 15,000 FOR 17,000. THERE WAS NO REPLY AS TO ANYTHING ABNORMAL. AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 16,000, THE CTLR ASKED FOR OUR ALT AND HE STATED TO LEVEL OFF BACK TO 15,000. WE COMPLIED AND WHEN LEVEL AT 15,000, THE CTLR AGAIN ASKED FOR OUR ALT. WE STATED LEVEL 15,000. HE SAID WE WERE TO LEVEL OFF AT 16,000. HE THEN HANDED US OVER TO ANOTHER FREQ AND WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLIMB TO 17,000. THE CTLR ON FREQ 120.85 WAS NOT USING STANDARD TERMINOLOGY PLUS HIS TRANSMITTER WAS WEAK AND SCRATCHY, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED US TO NOT HEAR THE CORRECT CALL SIGN. HOWEVER, THE CAPT REPEATED ALL CLRNCS BACK TO THE CTLR FOR VERIFICATION AND NO NEGATIVE REPLIES WERE MADE BY THE CTLR.

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.