B757 flight crew has clearance to climb to 17000 ft and frequency change to new controller who comma...

Attributes
ACN	394600
Time
Date	199802
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aml airport : dca
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tracon : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	394600
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On climb out while level at about 13000 ft, the departure controller became saturated with radio calls and directed everyone to 'shut-up,' and I believe he said, 'do not acknowledge further xmissions.' he then cleared us to climb to 17000 ft. We acknowledged across cockpit and set 17000 ft in the altitude alert window, began the climb, but did not read back the clearance to the controller. He then sent us to a new frequency. Our first call was '...passing 16000 ft for 17000 ft.' the new controller asked our altitude. We advised 16600 ft. He said 'level immediately.' -- on the new frequency. This was never explained to us. We were level at 16600 ft for about 2-3 mins, before he came back and cleared us to FL200, I believe. We were left with the distinct impression that we had 'busted an altitude' by the way we were directed to 'level immediately' upon arriving on the new frequency. We were distracted for 2-3 hours after this incident by determining how to handle this matter. This controller was too busy. He should have been relieved sooner. The sector is too easy to saturate when a 'bank' of flts leave iad, especially when our company idents flts as xab, xbb, xcb, etc. I will never again not acknowledge an altitude clearance, regardless of the controller's directions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLC HAS CLRNC TO CLB TO 17000 FT AND FREQ CHANGE TO NEW CTLR WHO COMMANDS THEM TO LEVEL IMMEDIATELY AFTER CHKING THEIR ALT. THEY LEVELED AT 16600 FT. NO APPARENT TFC CONFLICT OR LOSS OF SEPARATION INDICATED.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT WHILE LEVEL AT ABOUT 13000 FT, THE DEP CTLR BECAME SATURATED WITH RADIO CALLS AND DIRECTED EVERYONE TO 'SHUT-UP,' AND I BELIEVE HE SAID, 'DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE FURTHER XMISSIONS.' HE THEN CLRED US TO CLB TO 17000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED ACROSS COCKPIT AND SET 17000 FT IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW, BEGAN THE CLB, BUT DID NOT READ BACK THE CLRNC TO THE CTLR. HE THEN SENT US TO A NEW FREQ. OUR FIRST CALL WAS '...PASSING 16000 FT FOR 17000 FT.' THE NEW CTLR ASKED OUR ALT. WE ADVISED 16600 FT. HE SAID 'LEVEL IMMEDIATELY.' -- ON THE NEW FREQ. THIS WAS NEVER EXPLAINED TO US. WE WERE LEVEL AT 16600 FT FOR ABOUT 2-3 MINS, BEFORE HE CAME BACK AND CLRED US TO FL200, I BELIEVE. WE WERE LEFT WITH THE DISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD 'BUSTED AN ALT' BY THE WAY WE WERE DIRECTED TO 'LEVEL IMMEDIATELY' UPON ARRIVING ON THE NEW FREQ. WE WERE DISTRACTED FOR 2-3 HRS AFTER THIS INCIDENT BY DETERMINING HOW TO HANDLE THIS MATTER. THIS CTLR WAS TOO BUSY. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RELIEVED SOONER. THE SECTOR IS TOO EASY TO SATURATE WHEN A 'BANK' OF FLTS LEAVE IAD, ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR COMPANY IDENTS FLTS AS XAB, XBB, XCB, ETC. I WILL NEVER AGAIN NOT ACKNOWLEDGE AN ALT CLRNC, REGARDLESS OF THE CTLR'S DIRECTIONS.

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.

B757 flight crew has clearance to climb to 17000 ft and frequency change to new controller who commands them to level immediately after checking their altitude. They leveled at 16600 ft. No apparent traffic conflict or loss of separation indicated.