Altitude deviation for air carrier medium large transport departing ewr.

Attributes
ACN	139705
Time
Date	199003
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : 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 climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	139705
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 190
ASRS Report	139838
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After receiving clearance from ewr clearance to maintain 2500', first officer put 2500' in MCP altitude window. On taxiout and listening to ATIS, crew discovered that the active runway was not 04 but 22. After reading ewr 3 departure for runway 22 the departure altitudes says maintain 5000'. The crew decided that 5000' was the correct altitude for departing runway 22R. On climb when we switched to departure control, we told them we were out of 1200' for 5000' with no response. When departure did get around to us we were leveling at 5000', where he told us that we were supposed to maintain 2500'. There were no conflicts and the flight continued uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION FOR ACR MLG DEPARTING EWR.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FROM EWR CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 2500', F/O PUT 2500' IN MCP ALT WINDOW. ON TAXIOUT AND LISTENING TO ATIS, CREW DISCOVERED THAT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS NOT 04 BUT 22. AFTER READING EWR 3 DEP FOR RWY 22 THE DEP ALTS SAYS MAINTAIN 5000'. THE CREW DECIDED THAT 5000' WAS THE CORRECT ALT FOR DEPARTING RWY 22R. ON CLB WHEN WE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL, WE TOLD THEM WE WERE OUT OF 1200' FOR 5000' WITH NO RESPONSE. WHEN DEP DID GET AROUND TO US WE WERE LEVELING AT 5000', WHERE HE TOLD US THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN 2500'. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS AND THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.