MD80 flight crew heard and acknowledged clearance to FL230 instead of the cleared altitude of FL220.

Attributes
ACN	406586
Time
Date	199806
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vhp
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 24000 flight time type : 18000
ASRS Report	406586
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 2950 flight time type : 950
ASRS Report	406570
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier flight XXX departed indianapolis airport. Routine climb out. Our filed flight plan showed FL260 as a final. Center ATC controller cleared us to what we thought and read back was FL230. At FL225 the first officer asked ATC for clearance to continue climb to FL260. ATC controller indicated that FL220 would be our final altitude. We immediately descended back to FL220. Nothing more was said between cockpit crew and controller. In retrospect we would prefer to clarify misunderstanding or communication. We assumed we were wrong in climbing to FL230.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC HEARD AND ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC TO FL230 INSTEAD OF THE CLRED ALT OF FL220.

Narrative: ACR FLT XXX DEPARTED INDIANAPOLIS ARPT. ROUTINE CLBOUT. OUR FILED FLT PLAN SHOWED FL260 AS A FINAL. CTR ATC CTLR CLRED US TO WHAT WE THOUGHT AND READ BACK WAS FL230. AT FL225 THE FO ASKED ATC FOR CLRNC TO CONTINUE CLB TO FL260. ATC CTLR INDICATED THAT FL220 WOULD BE OUR FINAL ALT. WE IMMEDIATELY DSNDED BACK TO FL220. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BTWN COCKPIT CREW AND CTLR. IN RETROSPECT WE WOULD PREFER TO CLARIFY MISUNDERSTANDING OR COM. WE ASSUMED WE WERE WRONG IN CLBING TO FL230.

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.