Commuter aircraft misinterprets climb clearance. Climbing to 6000 ft, clearance to 4000 ft.

Attributes
ACN	283366
Time
Date	199409
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rdu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Shorts SD-360
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 4600 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	283366
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	282999
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On a IFR flight from raleigh to charlotte, nc, and after having departed raleigh at 50 Z, raleigh departure originally cleared us to 2000 ft. A few mins later they cleared us to liberty VOR and with an altitude clearance to what we thought was 6000 ft. 6000 ft was our flight plan en route altitude and also the altitude given to us with our clearance from raleigh clearance. Approximately 10 mi west of raleigh as we were climbing through 5000-6000 ft. Raleigh departure asked us to state our altitude, I informed him we were passing through 5000-6000 ft. He said that we were only cleared to 4000 ft, but to maintain 5000 ft and no problem. Both myself and the first officer each had 6000 ft plugged into our respective altitude selectors. Both of us thought that raleigh departure had stated 6000 ft for our assigned altitude. Contributing factors that may have lead us to understand incorrectly an assigned altitude include a 12-hour 10 min duty day before followed by a reduced rest of 8 hours 10 mins. This possible altitude deviation occurred on the second leg/flight of day 2 of a 2 day trip. A corrective action would be for the FAA to change duty regulations whereby airlines could not constantly schedule on a regulation basis. Reduced rest overnight trips. Another corrective action would be to take the FAA out of the airline's pockets.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT MISINTERPRETS CLB CLRNC. CLBING TO 6000 FT, CLRNC TO 4000 FT.

Narrative: ON A IFR FLT FROM RALEIGH TO CHARLOTTE, NC, AND AFTER HAVING DEPARTED RALEIGH AT 50 Z, RALEIGH DEP ORIGINALLY CLRED US TO 2000 FT. A FEW MINS LATER THEY CLRED US TO LIBERTY VOR AND WITH AN ALT CLRNC TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS 6000 FT. 6000 FT WAS OUR FLT PLAN ENRTE ALT AND ALSO THE ALT GIVEN TO US WITH OUR CLRNC FROM RALEIGH CLRNC. APPROX 10 MI W OF RALEIGH AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 5000-6000 FT. RALEIGH DEP ASKED US TO STATE OUR ALT, I INFORMED HIM WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 5000-6000 FT. HE SAID THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 4000 FT, BUT TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT AND NO PROB. BOTH MYSELF AND THE FO EACH HAD 6000 FT PLUGGED INTO OUR RESPECTIVE ALT SELECTORS. BOTH OF US THOUGHT THAT RALEIGH DEP HAD STATED 6000 FT FOR OUR ASSIGNED ALT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT MAY HAVE LEAD US TO UNDERSTAND INCORRECTLY AN ASSIGNED ALT INCLUDE A 12-HR 10 MIN DUTY DAY BEFORE FOLLOWED BY A REDUCED REST OF 8 HRS 10 MINS. THIS POSSIBLE ALTDEV OCCURRED ON THE SECOND LEG/FLT OF DAY 2 OF A 2 DAY TRIP. A CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE FOR THE FAA TO CHANGE DUTY REGS WHEREBY AIRLINES COULD NOT CONSTANTLY SCHEDULE ON A REG BASIS. REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT TRIPS. ANOTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE TO TAKE THE FAA OUT OF THE AIRLINE'S POCKETS.

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.