Flight crew of a DC10 undershot an intermediate climb altitude due to misunderstanding caused by fre...

Attributes
ACN	494817
Time
Date	200012
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx.artcc tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 10
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	494817
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	495010
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Climbing on 350 degree vector out of tampa, being given incremental altitudes with last clearance to FL240. ZJX called out traffic at 1:30 - 2 O'clock position and we understood that he was at FL260. There was some confusion as to what the controller actually said and we were handed off to another frequency while discussing our understanding of the previous controller's transmission. We made contact with new controller at FL240 and new controller asked if we had been cleared to FL260 by previous controller. We said that we were cleared to FL240 but were unsure of clearance to FL260. The controller seemed annoyed and said standby, and then came back with clearance to FL330. Nothing else was said about clearance to FL260. It was last leg of a 15 hour duty day (night) and we were tired but alert and safe. The radio congestion and frequency changes added to the misunderstanding, if there was one. No traffic conflict occurred to our knowledge.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC10 UNDERSHOT AN INTERMEDIATE CLB ALT DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING CAUSED BY FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: CLBING ON 350 DEG VECTOR OUT OF TAMPA, BEING GIVEN INCREMENTAL ALTS WITH LAST CLRNC TO FL240. ZJX CALLED OUT TFC AT 1:30 - 2 O'CLOCK POS AND WE UNDERSTOOD THAT HE WAS AT FL260. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHAT THE CTLR ACTUALLY SAID AND WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER FREQ WHILE DISCUSSING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PREVIOUS CTLR'S XMISSION. WE MADE CONTACT WITH NEW CTLR AT FL240 AND NEW CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL260 BY PREVIOUS CTLR. WE SAID THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL240 BUT WERE UNSURE OF CLRNC TO FL260. THE CTLR SEEMED ANNOYED AND SAID STANDBY, AND THEN CAME BACK WITH CLRNC TO FL330. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID ABOUT CLRNC TO FL260. IT WAS LAST LEG OF A 15 HR DUTY DAY (NIGHT) AND WE WERE TIRED BUT ALERT AND SAFE. THE RADIO CONGESTION AND FREQ CHANGES ADDED TO THE MISUNDERSTANDING, IF THERE WAS ONE. NO TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED TO OUR KNOWLEDGE.

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.

Flight crew of a DC10 undershot an intermediate climb altitude due to misunderstanding caused by frequency congestion.