Narrative:

First officer received clearance from clearance delivery for departure: 'runway heading, maintain 3000 ft.' clearance delivered over headset while on ramp, I was not monitoring frequency. First officer set 5000 ft in altitude preselect on panel. First officer's leg, gave oral takeoff brief, including runway heading on climb to 5000 ft altitude. We both noted 5000 ft in altitude preselect. Upon receiving takeoff clearance, I stated that we were 'cleared for takeoff, runway heading to 5000 ft.' takeoff normal, switched to departure on climb out approaching 3000 ft, controller acknowledged and cleared us on course once through 3500 ft. He then advised assigned initial altitude had been 3000 ft. First officer then checked clearance he had written down in short hand and confirmed 3000 ft was original altitude. 1) in our route system out of ord, initial altitudes are rarely lower than 4000 ft or 5000 ft. I should be more aware of non-standard clrncs. 2) during before start, and taxi checklists, when clearance is reviewed, I must visually check written down altitude. 3) final check of stating heading and altitude just before starting takeoff roll is good only when visually confirming initial altitude on copied written clearance, checking altitude set in altitude window alone is insufficient. Both preselect window and copied clearance must be checked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT OVERSHOOT ON DEP FROM AZO, MI.

Narrative: FO RECEIVED CLRNC FROM CLRNC DELIVERY FOR DEP: 'RWY HEADING, MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' CLRNC DELIVERED OVER HEADSET WHILE ON RAMP, I WAS NOT MONITORING FREQ. FO SET 5000 FT IN ALT PRESELECT ON PANEL. FO'S LEG, GAVE ORAL TKOF BRIEF, INCLUDING RWY HEADING ON CLB TO 5000 FT ALT. WE BOTH NOTED 5000 FT IN ALT PRESELECT. UPON RECEIVING TKOF CLRNC, I STATED THAT WE WERE 'CLRED FOR TKOF, RWY HEADING TO 5000 FT.' TKOF NORMAL, SWITCHED TO DEP ON CLBOUT APCHING 3000 FT, CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED AND CLRED US ON COURSE ONCE THROUGH 3500 FT. HE THEN ADVISED ASSIGNED INITIAL ALT HAD BEEN 3000 FT. FO THEN CHKED CLRNC HE HAD WRITTEN DOWN IN SHORT HAND AND CONFIRMED 3000 FT WAS ORIGINAL ALT. 1) IN OUR RTE SYS OUT OF ORD, INITIAL ALTS ARE RARELY LOWER THAN 4000 FT OR 5000 FT. I SHOULD BE MORE AWARE OF NON-STANDARD CLRNCS. 2) DURING BEFORE START, AND TAXI CHKLISTS, WHEN CLRNC IS REVIEWED, I MUST VISUALLY CHK WRITTEN DOWN ALT. 3) FINAL CHK OF STATING HEADING AND ALT JUST BEFORE STARTING TKOF ROLL IS GOOD ONLY WHEN VISUALLY CONFIRMING INITIAL ALT ON COPIED WRITTEN CLRNC, CHKING ALT SET IN ALT WINDOW ALONE IS INSUFFICIENT. BOTH PRESELECT WINDOW AND COPIED CLRNC MUST BE CHKED.

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.