Narrative:

Climbing out from runway 29 (oak) we inadvertently violated the 2000 ft maximum till 4 DME from oak. WX was good VMC, we were TCASII equipped, and no conflict or evasive action arose from our altitude deviation, as the controller quickly leveled us off at 3000 ft until he was able to climb us higher. En route from oakland, ca, to calgary, alberta, our clearance was: 'cleared via the oakland 2 departure to red bluff, then as filed, climb and maintain 15000 ft, expect FL410 in 10 mins.' during the long taxi from the FBO to runway 29 we were studying the SID, but were interrupted and distracted by a new clearance from ground control which included a somewhat confusing and ambiguous (to us) hold short of a certain crossing taxiway. Because of our unfamiliarity to oakland airport we had to divert our attention to the airport diagram, and for awhile were busy making sure we followed our taxi instructions correctly. When we got back to the SID, the first officer, who was reading the SID aloud to me, somehow missed the very important restr: 'fly at or below 2000 ft until 4 DME from oak.' so, as we climbed out, we were under the impression that we were cleared to 15000 ft. Due to radio congestion we were not able to check in with departure control until out of 2400 ft. The controller then leveled us off at about 3000 ft for a couple of mi, and then gave us further climb clearance. This was a very unfortunate and potentially dangerous mistake, but absolutely unintentional and simply caused by us becoming distracted by the new taxi clearance and having to divert our attention away from the SID for a good while. The lesson we take from this is that the time to study a SID is either before taxi out or while stationary at the end of the taxi out, not while performing other duties. We also feel that to help eliminate these kind of mistakes, and prompt more awareness from pilots, ATC could include a little 'memory jogger' when issuing a clearance, such as: 'comply with climb restrs on SID,' or something like that. I should also mention that we contacted bay area TRACON by phone after we got to our destination, explained our mistake, and discussed the infraction at length with them. In conclusion of that conversation the supervisor assured us that no FAA action would be pursued against us because of this. But in the spirit of the safety reporting system we would like to submit this report anyway because we feel like it could contribute to the ongoing effort of making aviation safer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR TWIN JET CLBS ABOVE THE ASSIGNED ALT ON THE PUBLISHED SID AFTER TKOF FROM OAK, CA.

Narrative: CLBING OUT FROM RWY 29 (OAK) WE INADVERTENTLY VIOLATED THE 2000 FT MAXIMUM TILL 4 DME FROM OAK. WX WAS GOOD VMC, WE WERE TCASII EQUIPPED, AND NO CONFLICT OR EVASIVE ACTION AROSE FROM OUR ALTDEV, AS THE CTLR QUICKLY LEVELED US OFF AT 3000 FT UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO CLB US HIGHER. ENRTE FROM OAKLAND, CA, TO CALGARY, ALBERTA, OUR CLRNC WAS: 'CLRED VIA THE OAKLAND 2 DEP TO RED BLUFF, THEN AS FILED, CLB AND MAINTAIN 15000 FT, EXPECT FL410 IN 10 MINS.' DURING THE LONG TAXI FROM THE FBO TO RWY 29 WE WERE STUDYING THE SID, BUT WERE INTERRUPTED AND DISTRACTED BY A NEW CLRNC FROM GND CTL WHICH INCLUDED A SOMEWHAT CONFUSING AND AMBIGUOUS (TO US) HOLD SHORT OF A CERTAIN XING TXWY. BECAUSE OF OUR UNFAMILIARITY TO OAKLAND ARPT WE HAD TO DIVERT OUR ATTN TO THE ARPT DIAGRAM, AND FOR AWHILE WERE BUSY MAKING SURE WE FOLLOWED OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS CORRECTLY. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE SID, THE FO, WHO WAS READING THE SID ALOUD TO ME, SOMEHOW MISSED THE VERY IMPORTANT RESTR: 'FLY AT OR BELOW 2000 FT UNTIL 4 DME FROM OAK.' SO, AS WE CLBED OUT, WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 15000 FT. DUE TO RADIO CONGESTION WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CHK IN WITH DEP CTL UNTIL OUT OF 2400 FT. THE CTLR THEN LEVELED US OFF AT ABOUT 3000 FT FOR A COUPLE OF MI, AND THEN GAVE US FURTHER CLB CLRNC. THIS WAS A VERY UNFORTUNATE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MISTAKE, BUT ABSOLUTELY UNINTENTIONAL AND SIMPLY CAUSED BY US BECOMING DISTRACTED BY THE NEW TAXI CLRNC AND HAVING TO DIVERT OUR ATTN AWAY FROM THE SID FOR A GOOD WHILE. THE LESSON WE TAKE FROM THIS IS THAT THE TIME TO STUDY A SID IS EITHER BEFORE TAXI OUT OR WHILE STATIONARY AT THE END OF THE TAXI OUT, NOT WHILE PERFORMING OTHER DUTIES. WE ALSO FEEL THAT TO HELP ELIMINATE THESE KIND OF MISTAKES, AND PROMPT MORE AWARENESS FROM PLTS, ATC COULD INCLUDE A LITTLE 'MEMORY JOGGER' WHEN ISSUING A CLRNC, SUCH AS: 'COMPLY WITH CLB RESTRS ON SID,' OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT WE CONTACTED BAY AREA TRACON BY PHONE AFTER WE GOT TO OUR DEST, EXPLAINED OUR MISTAKE, AND DISCUSSED THE INFRACTION AT LENGTH WITH THEM. IN CONCLUSION OF THAT CONVERSATION THE SUPVR ASSURED US THAT NO FAA ACTION WOULD BE PURSUED AGAINST US BECAUSE OF THIS. BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SAFETY RPTING SYS WE WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT THIS RPT ANYWAY BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE IT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE ONGOING EFFORT OF MAKING AVIATION SAFER.

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.