Flight crew of air carrier heavy transport suspects possible altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	129053
Time
Date	198911
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : hnl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	129053
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	129209
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Daylight, VMC departure, cleared to 5000' (expected FL330), heading 155 degrees, handed off to departure from tower. Departure frequency extremely busy. Captain could not break in to establish radio contact. Departure contacted us: '...radar contact, fly heading 180 degrees, climb/maintain 7000', say altitude leaving.' we rogered with altitude (at 2000-2500') and entered 7000' in altitude alert box. Advised of traffic, one going 2 O'clock. Leaving 7000 for 6000' (hnl departure still controling). We rogered, calling him 'in sight.' as we climbed through 6500', ATC called, 'maintain present altitude, turn heading 280 degrees.' we rogered, 'roger, heading 280 degrees, maintaining 6500', our clearance was for 7000'.' ATC reply: 'yeah, well, heading 280 degrees now.' frequency remained too busy to get clarification of previously assigned altitude. After another heading change, we were handed off to hnl center, who made no mention of any disagreement with hnl departure or the assigned altitudes. All 3 cockpit crew members confirmed original contact with hnl departure contained clearance to 7000'. Uncertain as to whether the controller meant to assign us (initially) a different altitude, or that things were moving so rapidly with the unusual amount of traffic that he needed to change plans in midstream.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF ACR HVT SUSPECTS POSSIBLE ALT DEVIATION.

Narrative: DAYLIGHT, VMC DEP, CLRED TO 5000' (EXPECTED FL330), HDG 155 DEGS, HANDED OFF TO DEP FROM TWR. DEP FREQ EXTREMELY BUSY. CAPT COULD NOT BREAK IN TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT. DEP CONTACTED US: '...RADAR CONTACT, FLY HDG 180 DEGS, CLB/MAINTAIN 7000', SAY ALT LEAVING.' WE ROGERED WITH ALT (AT 2000-2500') AND ENTERED 7000' IN ALT ALERT BOX. ADVISED OF TFC, ONE GOING 2 O'CLOCK. LEAVING 7000 FOR 6000' (HNL DEP STILL CTLING). WE ROGERED, CALLING HIM 'IN SIGHT.' AS WE CLBED THROUGH 6500', ATC CALLED, 'MAINTAIN PRESENT ALT, TURN HDG 280 DEGS.' WE ROGERED, 'ROGER, HDG 280 DEGS, MAINTAINING 6500', OUR CLRNC WAS FOR 7000'.' ATC REPLY: 'YEAH, WELL, HDG 280 DEGS NOW.' FREQ REMAINED TOO BUSY TO GET CLARIFICATION OF PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED ALT. AFTER ANOTHER HDG CHANGE, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO HNL CENTER, WHO MADE NO MENTION OF ANY DISAGREEMENT WITH HNL DEP OR THE ASSIGNED ALTS. ALL 3 COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS CONFIRMED ORIGINAL CONTACT WITH HNL DEP CONTAINED CLRNC TO 7000'. UNCERTAIN AS TO WHETHER THE CTLR MEANT TO ASSIGN US (INITIALLY) A DIFFERENT ALT, OR THAT THINGS WERE MOVING SO RAPIDLY WITH THE UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF TFC THAT HE NEEDED TO CHANGE PLANS IN MIDSTREAM.

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.