Narrative:

Pre departure clearance from sjc included an instruction to keep speed below 250 KIAS until further advised. The loupe 9 SID from sjc is a complex, high workload SID requiring speed restrs (200 KIAS below floor of class B within lateral limits, is not included on the SID as a note) and the clearance given, below 250 KTS until advised. SID requires a southeast heading (120 degrees) until an altitude is reached which will allow the aircraft to cross sjc VOR at 12000 ft upon turning right direct to the sjc VOR. During turn to the VOR, we were handed off from bay departure to ZOA. I was PF, the first officer PNF was working radio communication. Upon contact with center we were given a long clearance which I believe went like this: 'cleared to FL230, resume normal speed leaving 16000 ft.' I was busy turning to track outbound from the VOR and heard the 'resume normal speed leaving...' but did not hear the altitude given. I then asked the first officer, 'resume normal speed leaving what?' and he replied, 'resume normal speed now.' I thereby assumed the controller issued normal speed leaving 12000 ft as we had just passed through 12000 ft. I didn't think to ask for a verification as I completely missed hearing the altitude portion of the clearance. Shortly thereafter, the controller asked what our indicated airspeed was (340 KIAS, our normal eastbound climb speed) and immediately instructed us to turn left 30 degrees for traffic and told us we had been instructed to resume normal speed leaving 16000 ft which we had not reached at that time. I was hand flying, not on autoplt, as I like the challenge to maintain my instrument scan and flying skills during complex sids. Had I been on autoplt, I would probably not have been distracted (busy) and therefore more attentive to radio communication. It's a tough call. We are required to maintain our skills for manual flight, yet allowing the autoplt to 'share' and reduce the workload is the preferred technique in high workload environments. 2 trips to the simulator per yr (and soon only 1 with aqp) is not enough hand flying to maintain proficiency. Our EFIS DC8's use procedures from both the old analog era and the new EFIS and autoflt era. Having to maintain skills in both should require more time in the simulator to keep manually proficient. Supplemental information from acn 339270: I was busy clearing outside for other traffic as a B737 had taken off in front of us and a light aircraft took off at the same time on the right parallel runway. I read back the clearance with the comment resume normal climb speed. I did not mention 'after passing 16000 ft.' the controller did not correct me. The captain asked when we were cleared normal climb speed and I said now. With all the instructions I was given by the controller (all at one time) to climb, to turn, to accelerate, I missed the 'after passing 16000 ft.' this was only my second time to depart san jose and therefore I was not accustomed to procedures that would be considered standard for a pilot familiar to san jose. This is not an excuse, just a comment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARGO DC8 FLC FAILED TO MEET A CTLR'S AIRSPD RESTR WHILE ON THE SJC LOUPE 9 SID. THE CTLR INTERVENED AND VECTORED THE CREW FOR TFC.

Narrative: PDC FROM SJC INCLUDED AN INSTRUCTION TO KEEP SPD BELOW 250 KIAS UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. THE LOUPE 9 SID FROM SJC IS A COMPLEX, HIGH WORKLOAD SID REQUIRING SPD RESTRS (200 KIAS BELOW FLOOR OF CLASS B WITHIN LATERAL LIMITS, IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE SID AS A NOTE) AND THE CLRNC GIVEN, BELOW 250 KTS UNTIL ADVISED. SID REQUIRES A SE HDG (120 DEGS) UNTIL AN ALT IS REACHED WHICH WILL ALLOW THE ACFT TO CROSS SJC VOR AT 12000 FT UPON TURNING R DIRECT TO THE SJC VOR. DURING TURN TO THE VOR, WE WERE HANDED OFF FROM BAY DEP TO ZOA. I WAS PF, THE FO PNF WAS WORKING RADIO COM. UPON CONTACT WITH CTR WE WERE GIVEN A LONG CLRNC WHICH I BELIEVE WENT LIKE THIS: 'CLRED TO FL230, RESUME NORMAL SPD LEAVING 16000 FT.' I WAS BUSY TURNING TO TRACK OUTBOUND FROM THE VOR AND HEARD THE 'RESUME NORMAL SPD LEAVING...' BUT DID NOT HEAR THE ALT GIVEN. I THEN ASKED THE FO, 'RESUME NORMAL SPD LEAVING WHAT?' AND HE REPLIED, 'RESUME NORMAL SPD NOW.' I THEREBY ASSUMED THE CTLR ISSUED NORMAL SPD LEAVING 12000 FT AS WE HAD JUST PASSED THROUGH 12000 FT. I DIDN'T THINK TO ASK FOR A VERIFICATION AS I COMPLETELY MISSED HEARING THE ALT PORTION OF THE CLRNC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CTLR ASKED WHAT OUR INDICATED AIRSPD WAS (340 KIAS, OUR NORMAL EBOUND CLB SPD) AND IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L 30 DEGS FOR TFC AND TOLD US WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO RESUME NORMAL SPD LEAVING 16000 FT WHICH WE HAD NOT REACHED AT THAT TIME. I WAS HAND FLYING, NOT ON AUTOPLT, AS I LIKE THE CHALLENGE TO MAINTAIN MY INST SCAN AND FLYING SKILLS DURING COMPLEX SIDS. HAD I BEEN ON AUTOPLT, I WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED (BUSY) AND THEREFORE MORE ATTENTIVE TO RADIO COM. IT'S A TOUGH CALL. WE ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN OUR SKILLS FOR MANUAL FLT, YET ALLOWING THE AUTOPLT TO 'SHARE' AND REDUCE THE WORKLOAD IS THE PREFERRED TECHNIQUE IN HIGH WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENTS. 2 TRIPS TO THE SIMULATOR PER YR (AND SOON ONLY 1 WITH AQP) IS NOT ENOUGH HAND FLYING TO MAINTAIN PROFICIENCY. OUR EFIS DC8'S USE PROCS FROM BOTH THE OLD ANALOG ERA AND THE NEW EFIS AND AUTOFLT ERA. HAVING TO MAINTAIN SKILLS IN BOTH SHOULD REQUIRE MORE TIME IN THE SIMULATOR TO KEEP MANUALLY PROFICIENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 339270: I WAS BUSY CLRING OUTSIDE FOR OTHER TFC AS A B737 HAD TAKEN OFF IN FRONT OF US AND A LIGHT ACFT TOOK OFF AT THE SAME TIME ON THE R PARALLEL RWY. I READ BACK THE CLRNC WITH THE COMMENT RESUME NORMAL CLB SPD. I DID NOT MENTION 'AFTER PASSING 16000 FT.' THE CTLR DID NOT CORRECT ME. THE CAPT ASKED WHEN WE WERE CLRED NORMAL CLB SPD AND I SAID NOW. WITH ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS I WAS GIVEN BY THE CTLR (ALL AT ONE TIME) TO CLB, TO TURN, TO ACCELERATE, I MISSED THE 'AFTER PASSING 16000 FT.' THIS WAS ONLY MY SECOND TIME TO DEPART SAN JOSE AND THEREFORE I WAS NOT ACCUSTOMED TO PROCS THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED STANDARD FOR A PLT FAMILIAR TO SAN JOSE. THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE, JUST A COMMENT.

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.