Narrative:

The aircraft was told to climb and maintain 6000'. The pilot read back 16000'. The response was not caught on my part, resulting in the aircraft climbing into ZDC's airspace. After listening to the tape, I cannot understand how the pilot heard '16000' when '6000'' was very loud and very clear. The response of '16000,' on the other hand, was not loud or clear. This is a problem that continues every day. The controller is not only responsible for issuing the correct altitude, but also responsible for the pilot's readback. I believe the pilot does not share in the responsibility of this type of error. The pilot can read back any altitude and it's up to the controller to catch a wrong altitude readback. I feel that if the pilot and controller had to listen to the tape, it would cut down on the incidents. As stated earlier, this is an ongoing problem. I have never heard what the pilot had to do because he misread an altitude. I have heard and seen what a controller has to do. I feel more responsibility needs to be shared; maybe this would cut down on this type of incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION RESULTS WHEN FLT CREW MISREADS CLRNC AND CTLR DOESN'T CATCH THEIR ERROR DURING THEIR CLRNC READBACK.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS TOLD TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 6000'. THE PLT READ BACK 16000'. THE RESPONSE WAS NOT CAUGHT ON MY PART, RESULTING IN THE ACFT CLBING INTO ZDC'S AIRSPACE. AFTER LISTENING TO THE TAPE, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE PLT HEARD '16000' WHEN '6000'' WAS VERY LOUD AND VERY CLR. THE RESPONSE OF '16000,' ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS NOT LOUD OR CLR. THIS IS A PROB THAT CONTINUES EVERY DAY. THE CTLR IS NOT ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ISSUING THE CORRECT ALT, BUT ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLT'S READBACK. I BELIEVE THE PLT DOES NOT SHARE IN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS TYPE OF ERROR. THE PLT CAN READ BACK ANY ALT AND IT'S UP TO THE CTLR TO CATCH A WRONG ALT READBACK. I FEEL THAT IF THE PLT AND CTLR HAD TO LISTEN TO THE TAPE, IT WOULD CUT DOWN ON THE INCIDENTS. AS STATED EARLIER, THIS IS AN ONGOING PROB. I HAVE NEVER HEARD WHAT THE PLT HAD TO DO BECAUSE HE MISREAD AN ALT. I HAVE HEARD AND SEEN WHAT A CTLR HAS TO DO. I FEEL MORE RESPONSIBILITY NEEDS TO BE SHARED; MAYBE THIS WOULD CUT DOWN ON THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT.

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.