<< >> NASA ASRS Report 428121, February 1999

An MD88 flight crew climbs to 5000 ft departing lit. Departure control, who had issued the clearance, sends them back down to 4000 ft and asks the crew how they got a 5000 ft clearance.

Attributes
ACN	428121
Time
Date	199902
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lit.airport
State Reference	AR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lit.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	428121
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : mode c other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to original clearance
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Normal takeoff, captain flying, turned to 060 degree heading. First officer checked in with departure with 060 degree heading, climbing to 4000 ft assigned. Departure cleared us to 5000 ft. First officer read back call sign and 5000 ft. Just prior to leveling 5000 ft, departure control asked us to maintain 4000 ft. Then he asked how we got a 5000 ft clearance. During this time period, several small airplanes checked in or requested handling. One of these passed by us at 11 O'clock position at 6000 ft at 4-5 mi away. We had him in sight, no TCASII alerts. In contacting ATC later, the controller could not recall what instructions he gave to us. Tapes are being reviewed. No violations or paperwork being considered. Communication and controller workload factors. We may have had blocked clearance and controller did not catch our readback or his workload caused him to give us an altitude meant for someone else.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 FLC CLBS TO 5000 FT DEPARTING LIT. DEP CTL, WHO HAD ISSUED THE CLRNC, SENDS THEM BACK DOWN TO 4000 FT AND ASKS THE CREW HOW THEY GOT A 5000 FT CLRNC.

Narrative: NORMAL TKOF, CAPT FLYING, TURNED TO 060 DEG HDG. FO CHKED IN WITH DEP WITH 060 DEG HDG, CLBING TO 4000 FT ASSIGNED. DEP CLRED US TO 5000 FT. FO READ BACK CALL SIGN AND 5000 FT. JUST PRIOR TO LEVELING 5000 FT, DEP CTL ASKED US TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. THEN HE ASKED HOW WE GOT A 5000 FT CLRNC. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, SEVERAL SMALL AIRPLANES CHKED IN OR REQUESTED HANDLING. ONE OF THESE PASSED BY US AT 11 O'CLOCK POS AT 6000 FT AT 4-5 MI AWAY. WE HAD HIM IN SIGHT, NO TCASII ALERTS. IN CONTACTING ATC LATER, THE CTLR COULD NOT RECALL WHAT INSTRUCTIONS HE GAVE TO US. TAPES ARE BEING REVIEWED. NO VIOLATIONS OR PAPERWORK BEING CONSIDERED. COM AND CTLR WORKLOAD FACTORS. WE MAY HAVE HAD BLOCKED CLRNC AND CTLR DID NOT CATCH OUR READBACK OR HIS WORKLOAD CAUSED HIM TO GIVE US AN ALT MEANT FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

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.