Flight crew misinterpreted SID and had wrong altitude displayed in altitude selector.

Attributes
ACN	293603
Time
Date	199501
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	293603
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	controller radar : 20 flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	293604
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
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:

The first officer got our clearance which stated a SID with an altitude of 2500 ft. The altitude selector was set at 5000 ft. I thought he had set it at 5000 ft, he thought I had set it at 5000 ft. Since it is not unusual to have this altitude and this is the published altitude on another departure, we both thought this was normal. Departure had us level at 3000 ft for a few seconds then cleared us to 5000 ft. I'm still not sure of our original assigned altitude, the pre departure clearance didn't include altitude information. Supplemental information from acn 293604: it would be better if departing crews set '0000' in the altitude alert if they were going to reset it for an arriving crew. The remedy would be to finish reading the entire text before getting sidetracked into filling in the blanks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISINTERPRETED SID AND HAD WRONG ALT DISPLAYED IN ALT SELECTOR.

Narrative: THE FO GOT OUR CLRNC WHICH STATED A SID WITH AN ALT OF 2500 FT. THE ALT SELECTOR WAS SET AT 5000 FT. I THOUGHT HE HAD SET IT AT 5000 FT, HE THOUGHT I HAD SET IT AT 5000 FT. SINCE IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE THIS ALT AND THIS IS THE PUBLISHED ALT ON ANOTHER DEP, WE BOTH THOUGHT THIS WAS NORMAL. DEP HAD US LEVEL AT 3000 FT FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN CLRED US TO 5000 FT. I'M STILL NOT SURE OF OUR ORIGINAL ASSIGNED ALT, THE PDC DIDN'T INCLUDE ALT INFO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 293604: IT WOULD BE BETTER IF DEPARTING CREWS SET '0000' IN THE ALT ALERT IF THEY WERE GOING TO RESET IT FOR AN ARRIVING CREW. THE REMEDY WOULD BE TO FINISH READING THE ENTIRE TEXT BEFORE GETTING SIDETRACKED INTO FILLING IN THE BLANKS.

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.