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A departure, climbing, B737-300 flight crew is given an incorrect altitude assignment by ord departure controller when 6 mi southwest of ord, il.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 518865 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200107 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mdw.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 5500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : c90.tracon tower : mdw.tower artcc : zjx.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : c90.tracon |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 14000 |
| ASRS Report | 518865 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2600 |
| ASRS Report | 518864 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory controller : separated traffic |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
Handoff to departure from tower. Departure said wrong frequency, go to 132.5. Contact was made with 132.5 prior to reaching altitude 3000 ft. 132.5 cleared flight abc to 9000 ft. We read back air carrier X abc, cleared to 9000 ft and started climb. About 90 seconds later 132.5 came back and asked 'who did I clear to 9000 ft?' flight abc responded that controller had cleared air carrier X abc to 9000 ft. Controller responded with 'where are you?' we told her 5 to 6 mi southwest of mdw. Controller then told us to stop climb. We were at 5500 ft and advised of our altitude. I also now saw traffic at 6000 ft. So we leveled at 5000 ft. No traffic alerts. ATC passed air carrier X abc to 127.07. I asked 132.5 if we had any problems with altitude clearance. Controller said no problems. Contact with 127.07 gave us a heading and cleared air carrier X abc to 12000 ft. Major thunderstorms had passed through mdw. Many delays. I think departure had been overextended. At the time of our departure, things were just beginning to return to a manageable operation. Supplemental information from acn 518864: chicago mdw departure from runway 31L. Big storms had passed through mdw, many delays and rertes. Not sure how or why departure seemed to give us an incorrect instruction. For this case, I don't believe either pilot on air carrier X abc did anything incorrect.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DEP, CLBING, B737-300 FLC IS GIVEN AN INCORRECT ALT ASSIGNMENT BY ORD DEP CTLR WHEN 6 MI SW OF ORD, IL.
Narrative: HDOF TO DEP FROM TWR. DEP SAID WRONG FREQ, GO TO 132.5. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH 132.5 PRIOR TO REACHING ALT 3000 FT. 132.5 CLRED FLT ABC TO 9000 FT. WE READ BACK ACR X ABC, CLRED TO 9000 FT AND STARTED CLB. ABOUT 90 SECONDS LATER 132.5 CAME BACK AND ASKED 'WHO DID I CLR TO 9000 FT?' FLT ABC RESPONDED THAT CTLR HAD CLRED ACR X ABC TO 9000 FT. CTLR RESPONDED WITH 'WHERE ARE YOU?' WE TOLD HER 5 TO 6 MI SW OF MDW. CTLR THEN TOLD US TO STOP CLB. WE WERE AT 5500 FT AND ADVISED OF OUR ALT. I ALSO NOW SAW TFC AT 6000 FT. SO WE LEVELED AT 5000 FT. NO TFC ALERTS. ATC PASSED ACR X ABC TO 127.07. I ASKED 132.5 IF WE HAD ANY PROBS WITH ALT CLRNC. CTLR SAID NO PROBS. CONTACT WITH 127.07 GAVE US A HDG AND CLRED ACR X ABC TO 12000 FT. MAJOR TSTMS HAD PASSED THROUGH MDW. MANY DELAYS. I THINK DEP HAD BEEN OVEREXTENDED. AT THE TIME OF OUR DEP, THINGS WERE JUST BEGINNING TO RETURN TO A MANAGEABLE OP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 518864: CHICAGO MDW DEP FROM RWY 31L. BIG STORMS HAD PASSED THROUGH MDW, MANY DELAYS AND RERTES. NOT SURE HOW OR WHY DEP SEEMED TO GIVE US AN INCORRECT INSTRUCTION. FOR THIS CASE, I DON'T BELIEVE EITHER PLT ON ACR X ABC DID ANYTHING INCORRECT.
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.