<< >> NASA ASRS Report 517740, July 2001

A B727 flight crew and controller disagree on assigned altitude after flight crew re-verified the altitude.

Attributes
ACN	517740
Time
Date	200107
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gso.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	517740
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

On departure air carrier X, we were cleared to 12000 ft. We were filed for 11000 ft and historically we are always cleared to 10000 ft. Same crew has flown this trip many times. When told 12000 ft on departure everyone looked at one another and questioned why, so once again the captain asked to verify 12000 ft. He was told 12000 ft again. After being level at 12000 ft for 30 seconds the greensboro departure controller asked us why we were not at 10000 ft. We told him he cleared us to 12000 ft numerous times. He disagreed, told us it was no big deal, and had us descend back to 10000 ft. We were not aware if there was a conflict, but from his demeanor we would say no.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLT CREW AND CTLR DISAGREE ON ASSIGNED ALT AFTER FLT CREW RE-VERIFIED THE ALT.

Narrative: ON DEP ACR X, WE WERE CLRED TO 12000 FT. WE WERE FILED FOR 11000 FT AND HISTORICALLY WE ARE ALWAYS CLRED TO 10000 FT. SAME CREW HAS FLOWN THIS TRIP MANY TIMES. WHEN TOLD 12000 FT ON DEP EVERYONE LOOKED AT ONE ANOTHER AND QUESTIONED WHY, SO ONCE AGAIN THE CAPT ASKED TO VERIFY 12000 FT. HE WAS TOLD 12000 FT AGAIN. AFTER BEING LEVEL AT 12000 FT FOR 30 SECONDS THE GREENSBORO DEP CTLR ASKED US WHY WE WERE NOT AT 10000 FT. WE TOLD HIM HE CLRED US TO 12000 FT NUMEROUS TIMES. HE DISAGREED, TOLD US IT WAS NO BIG DEAL, AND HAD US DSND BACK TO 10000 FT. WE WERE NOT AWARE IF THERE WAS A CONFLICT, BUT FROM HIS DEMEANOR WE WOULD SAY NO.

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.