Narrative:

I fly for a part 121 air carrier. We received our clearance from fwa clearance delivery '...as filed, maintain 3000 ft...' upon reaching the runway, we received an amended clearance to maintain 13000 ft during the takeoff clearance. We made a standard response and repeated 13000 ft altitude assignment. Upon frequency switch to ZAU we were asked about our clearance altitude and we replied 13000 ft. Upon 'investigation' by chicago, we were told that our amended clearance had been to climb and maintain 10000 ft. This is incorrect, and review of the tape by ATC confirms the error. We were led to believe that we were at fault, and we were given the phone number to call once in cvg. We called (as a crew) and were told that the readback of '13000 ft' with tower in fwa had been confirmed and not to worry about it because we were the only plane within a 30 mi radius of fwa. We were encouraged not to do a written report because it would be 'unnecessary.' that isn't how I operate. A mistake was made and we were considered guilty until proven innocent. Please consider the pilot-controller responsibility carefully. Obviously there is a tremendous amount at stake and mistakes of this kind should not be tolerated when executed with such self-righteousness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CANADAIR CL65, WERE TOLD BY ARTCC CTLR WHEN CHKING IN THAT THEIR CLRNC WAS ONLY TO 10000 FT INSTEAD OF 13000 FT. THE CREW HAD READ BACK 13000 FT PRIOR TO DEP. POSTFLT REVIEW OF ATC TAPES PROVED THAT CREW WAS RIGHT.

Narrative: I FLY FOR A PART 121 ACR. WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC FROM FWA CLRNC DELIVERY '...AS FILED, MAINTAIN 3000 FT...' UPON REACHING THE RWY, WE RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT DURING THE TKOF CLRNC. WE MADE A STANDARD RESPONSE AND REPEATED 13000 FT ALT ASSIGNMENT. UPON FREQ SWITCH TO ZAU WE WERE ASKED ABOUT OUR CLRNC ALT AND WE REPLIED 13000 FT. UPON 'INVESTIGATION' BY CHICAGO, WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR AMENDED CLRNC HAD BEEN TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT. THIS IS INCORRECT, AND REVIEW OF THE TAPE BY ATC CONFIRMS THE ERROR. WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE THAT WE WERE AT FAULT, AND WE WERE GIVEN THE PHONE NUMBER TO CALL ONCE IN CVG. WE CALLED (AS A CREW) AND WERE TOLD THAT THE READBACK OF '13000 FT' WITH TWR IN FWA HAD BEEN CONFIRMED AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE WERE THE ONLY PLANE WITHIN A 30 MI RADIUS OF FWA. WE WERE ENCOURAGED NOT TO DO A WRITTEN RPT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE 'UNNECESSARY.' THAT ISN'T HOW I OPERATE. A MISTAKE WAS MADE AND WE WERE CONSIDERED GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT. PLEASE CONSIDER THE PLT-CTLR RESPONSIBILITY CAREFULLY. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT AT STAKE AND MISTAKES OF THIS KIND SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED WHEN EXECUTED WITH SUCH SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.

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.