Narrative:

Flight departed runway 26R, on a payso 6 departure from phx. Departure control advised that we were not squawking altitude, and then cleared us to 16000'. I selected our #2 transponder, however departure advised 'they were still not receiving our altitude readout.' I selected the transponder to 'standby' for a few seconds and then back to 'on.' a few moments later departure control asked for our altitude, which I reported to be 14600' (this is approximately the altitude, I do not remember my exact response.' departure then advised that we were cleared to 13000' and to descend to same. We initiated a descent back to 13000'. I advised departure control that we had 16000' in our altitude window and were cleared to that altitude. The controller responded that we were 'reclred to 13000' after the initial clearance to 16000.' the frequency was quiet busy at the time, however I do not feel that my attention to the transponder problem was distracting enough to miss the reclrnc. My first officer was flying the aircraft. He did not hear a revised clearance, there I feel a transponder by departure, with the revised clearance, was blocked by another aircraft. I can offer no corrective action for this incident other than the erroneous false safety generated by the FAA, for the purpose for public pacification, in creating a TCA and the higher amount of radio calls required by same. As for our transponder altitude reporting problem, I can offer no reason for its malfunction. All switches were properly placed, however the TCAS portion of the system was on MEL.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF 2-MAN LGT CLEARED TO 16000' MSL ADVISED BY DEP CTLR REVISED CLRNC WAS TO ONLY 13000'. FLT CREW UNAWARE OF REVISED CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED RWY 26R, ON A PAYSO 6 DEP FROM PHX. DEP CTL ADVISED THAT WE WERE NOT SQUAWKING ALT, AND THEN CLRED US TO 16000'. I SELECTED OUR #2 XPONDER, HOWEVER DEP ADVISED 'THEY WERE STILL NOT RECEIVING OUR ALT READOUT.' I SELECTED THE XPONDER TO 'STANDBY' FOR A FEW SECS AND THEN BACK TO 'ON.' A FEW MOMENTS LATER DEP CTL ASKED FOR OUR ALT, WHICH I RPTED TO BE 14600' (THIS IS APPROX THE ALT, I DO NOT REMEMBER MY EXACT RESPONSE.' DEP THEN ADVISED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 13000' AND TO DSND TO SAME. WE INITIATED A DSNT BACK TO 13000'. I ADVISED DEP CTL THAT WE HAD 16000' IN OUR ALT WINDOW AND WERE CLRED TO THAT ALT. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT WE WERE 'RECLRED TO 13000' AFTER THE INITIAL CLRNC TO 16000.' THE FREQ WAS QUIET BUSY AT THE TIME, HOWEVER I DO NOT FEEL THAT MY ATTN TO THE XPONDER PROB WAS DISTRACTING ENOUGH TO MISS THE RECLRNC. MY F/O WAS FLYING THE ACFT. HE DID NOT HEAR A REVISED CLRNC, THERE I FEEL A XPONDER BY DEP, WITH THE REVISED CLRNC, WAS BLOCKED BY ANOTHER ACFT. I CAN OFFER NO CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR THIS INCIDENT OTHER THAN THE ERRONEOUS FALSE SAFETY GENERATED BY THE FAA, FOR THE PURPOSE FOR PUBLIC PACIFICATION, IN CREATING A TCA AND THE HIGHER AMOUNT OF RADIO CALLS REQUIRED BY SAME. AS FOR OUR XPONDER ALT RPTING PROB, I CAN OFFER NO REASON FOR ITS MALFUNCTION. ALL SWITCHES WERE PROPERLY PLACED, HOWEVER THE TCAS PORTION OF THE SYS WAS ON MEL.

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.