Narrative:

I was the captain of large transport X on 7/90 departing sea for anc. This was the second leg of the day and the first officer was flying the aircraft. After a normal takeoff the tower turned us over to departure control. I called departure control and reported out of 2500' climbing to 10000'. Departure control rogered my call and made no other comment. At about 5000' we were given a turn to 240 degrees. At about 9300' departure called traffic at 11 O'clock, 3 mi left to right, 10000'. We saw the traffic. The first officer began a descent and slight left turn. Departure control called and advised us we were only cleared to 9000'. I replied I had called climbing to 10000' and had received a roger with no other comment. I believe the events leading to the situation were these: I was in the cockpit, standing by the entry door, while the first officer received the clearance. I knew he was getting and reading back the clearance, but I could not hear the actual words. I noticed that the altitude on the MCP was set at 10000'. After taking my seat we proceeded to run the checklist. The last item was crew briefing. The first officer briefed the clearance and takeoff procedures. I heard or believe I heard we were cleared to 10000', as the MCP showed. Now I knew the first officer and had flown with him before, and found him to be extremely competent and had no reason to question him about the clearance. Also, after takeoff and calling departure control and reporting climbing to 1000', and receiving a roger and no other comment, I had no reason to believe we were not cleared to 10000'. After we arrived in anc, I called the sea TRACON and talked with the supervisor on duty. He told me they had run the tape and confirmed the clearance had been given and read back as to maintain 9000'. He also confirmed that the first call from us was 'climbing to 10000',' and that the controller rogered the call but did not correct the altitude. My conclusion is that we had 3 failures: 1) my failure to listen to and confirm the clearance, 2) the first officer failure to set the MCP properly, and 3) the controller failure to correct the altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO COPIED THE WRONG ASSIGNED ALT AND ON DEP, HE HAD TO DESCEND TO AVOID TRAFFIC. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION OCCURRED AS THE RESULT OF THE WRONG ALT.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF LGT X ON 7/90 DEPARTING SEA FOR ANC. THIS WAS THE SECOND LEG OF THE DAY AND THE F/O WAS FLYING THE ACFT. AFTER A NORMAL TKOF THE TWR TURNED US OVER TO DEP CTL. I CALLED DEP CTL AND RPTED OUT OF 2500' CLBING TO 10000'. DEP CTL ROGERED MY CALL AND MADE NO OTHER COMMENT. AT ABOUT 5000' WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO 240 DEGS. AT ABOUT 9300' DEP CALLED TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK, 3 MI LEFT TO RIGHT, 10000'. WE SAW THE TFC. THE F/O BEGAN A DSNT AND SLIGHT LEFT TURN. DEP CTL CALLED AND ADVISED US WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 9000'. I REPLIED I HAD CALLED CLBING TO 10000' AND HAD RECEIVED A ROGER WITH NO OTHER COMMENT. I BELIEVE THE EVENTS LEADING TO THE SITUATION WERE THESE: I WAS IN THE COCKPIT, STANDING BY THE ENTRY DOOR, WHILE THE F/O RECEIVED THE CLRNC. I KNEW HE WAS GETTING AND READING BACK THE CLRNC, BUT I COULD NOT HEAR THE ACTUAL WORDS. I NOTICED THAT THE ALT ON THE MCP WAS SET AT 10000'. AFTER TAKING MY SEAT WE PROCEEDED TO RUN THE CHKLIST. THE LAST ITEM WAS CREW BRIEFING. THE F/O BRIEFED THE CLRNC AND TKOF PROCS. I HEARD OR BELIEVE I HEARD WE WERE CLRED TO 10000', AS THE MCP SHOWED. NOW I KNEW THE F/O AND HAD FLOWN WITH HIM BEFORE, AND FOUND HIM TO BE EXTREMELY COMPETENT AND HAD NO REASON TO QUESTION HIM ABOUT THE CLRNC. ALSO, AFTER TKOF AND CALLING DEP CTL AND RPTING CLBING TO 1000', AND RECEIVING A ROGER AND NO OTHER COMMENT, I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE WE WERE NOT CLRED TO 10000'. AFTER WE ARRIVED IN ANC, I CALLED THE SEA TRACON AND TALKED WITH THE SUPVR ON DUTY. HE TOLD ME THEY HAD RUN THE TAPE AND CONFIRMED THE CLRNC HAD BEEN GIVEN AND READ BACK AS TO MAINTAIN 9000'. HE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE FIRST CALL FROM US WAS 'CLBING TO 10000',' AND THAT THE CTLR ROGERED THE CALL BUT DID NOT CORRECT THE ALT. MY CONCLUSION IS THAT WE HAD 3 FAILURES: 1) MY FAILURE TO LISTEN TO AND CONFIRM THE CLRNC, 2) THE F/O FAILURE TO SET THE MCP PROPERLY, AND 3) THE CTLR FAILURE TO CORRECT THE ALT.

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.