Narrative:

On departure climb out from atl departure control gave us a turn to the south and said cvlb to 14000' (previous altitude clearance was 10000'). First officer read back 14000' and set it in on mode control panel. I observed and stated '14000'. As we rolled out on 180 degree heading departure said air carrier large transport Y traffic at 10 O'clock 11000'. We acknowledged we had the traffic in sight. We were approaching 10000' at this time. I asked first officer 'weren't we cleared to 14000',' he said 'yes'. The traffic looked fairly close so I began to increase my rate of climb. At approximately 10800' as the large transport Y was passing behind us departure called and asked if we were level at 10000'. We said we were cleared to 14000'. Departure said neg and then asked if we had had the traffic visly. We said 'yes'. Departure gave us a frequency change and said no problem. We were at no time in danger of hitting the large transport Y because we had visibility contact. If we hadn't seen him it might have been a different story. The controller made an error and gave us 14000'. I should have questioned the controller when he gave us the 10 O'clock traffic at 11000'. Supplemental information from acn 158812. It was never a threat but the next time things look that close I will reconfirm our clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT THOUGHT CLEARED TO CLIMB TO 14000' AND EVEN AFTER BEING GIVEN TRAFFIC AT 11000' CONTINUED HIS CLIMB AND HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: ON DEP CLBOUT FROM ATL DEP CTL GAVE US A TURN TO THE S AND SAID CVLB TO 14000' (PREVIOUS ALT CLRNC WAS 10000'). F/O READ BACK 14000' AND SET IT IN ON MODE CTL PANEL. I OBSERVED AND STATED '14000'. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON 180 DEG HDG DEP SAID ACR LGT Y TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK 11000'. WE ACKNOWLEDGED WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. WE WERE APCHING 10000' AT THIS TIME. I ASKED F/O 'WEREN'T WE CLRED TO 14000',' HE SAID 'YES'. THE TFC LOOKED FAIRLY CLOSE SO I BEGAN TO INCREASE MY RATE OF CLB. AT APPROX 10800' AS THE LGT Y WAS PASSING BEHIND US DEP CALLED AND ASKED IF WE WERE LEVEL AT 10000'. WE SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 14000'. DEP SAID NEG AND THEN ASKED IF WE HAD HAD THE TFC VISLY. WE SAID 'YES'. DEP GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE AND SAID NO PROB. WE WERE AT NO TIME IN DANGER OF HITTING THE LGT Y BECAUSE WE HAD VIS CONTACT. IF WE HADN'T SEEN HIM IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY. THE CTLR MADE AN ERROR AND GAVE US 14000'. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CTLR WHEN HE GAVE US THE 10 O'CLOCK TFC AT 11000'. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 158812. IT WAS NEVER A THREAT BUT THE NEXT TIME THINGS LOOK THAT CLOSE I WILL RECONFIRM OUR CLRNC.

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.