Narrative:

First officer received initial clearance of climb FL190. No mention of 'comply with restrs' was relayed (or if it was, it was missed). Controller did mention, 'this is a test for the next few hours,' when first officer queried the high clearance altitude. In that the STAR altitudes do not apply unless cleared by the controller, we assumed this was clearance to climb unrestr irrespective of the printed restrs. Just in case, we queried as we climbed through 7000 ft at roppr and departure confirmed the restr. We leveled off at 7300 ft at which point the controller cleared us to climb unrestr to FL190. If las approach is going to generate sids and stars with altitude restrs, I recommend they be cleared when the procedure is cleared. If they don't want to use them, remove them from the procedure and issue us altitudes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that he thought departure restrs should have been restated with the original departure clearance. The test procedure was apparently an altitude assignment change to FL190. He was not advised the amended altitude intent, which was usually FL230. The reporter stated that he told the first officer that they would question clearance restrs when airborne. The aircraft was light and he was at a high climb rate when asking departure control about the roppr crossing restr. The reporter has flown into las 3 more times since the incident. The reporter stated that las has become a very difficult environment, not only has arrival and departure procedures changed 3 times in the last 18 months, the controllers have become terse and aggressive. Because of the changes, pilots have been challenging clrncs, adding to frequency congestion and complexity. The reporter's aircraft was equipped with the LNAV equipment only. The reporter alleged that VNAV equipment would have probably ensured the departure crossing restr would have been complied with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 FLT CREW MISINTERP LAS TEST DEP PROC CLRNC WHEN ASSIGNED FL190 FROM TWR. PRFUM RNAV SID XING RESTR OVERSHOT AS FLT CREW QUESTIONS L30 ABOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: FO RECEIVED INITIAL CLRNC OF CLB FL190. NO MENTION OF 'COMPLY WITH RESTRS' WAS RELAYED (OR IF IT WAS, IT WAS MISSED). CTLR DID MENTION, 'THIS IS A TEST FOR THE NEXT FEW HRS,' WHEN FO QUERIED THE HIGH CLRNC ALT. IN THAT THE STAR ALTS DO NOT APPLY UNLESS CLRED BY THE CTLR, WE ASSUMED THIS WAS CLRNC TO CLB UNRESTR IRRESPECTIVE OF THE PRINTED RESTRS. JUST IN CASE, WE QUERIED AS WE CLBED THROUGH 7000 FT AT ROPPR AND DEP CONFIRMED THE RESTR. WE LEVELED OFF AT 7300 FT AT WHICH POINT THE CTLR CLRED US TO CLB UNRESTR TO FL190. IF LAS APCH IS GOING TO GENERATE SIDS AND STARS WITH ALT RESTRS, I RECOMMEND THEY BE CLRED WHEN THE PROC IS CLRED. IF THEY DON'T WANT TO USE THEM, REMOVE THEM FROM THE PROC AND ISSUE US ALTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT HE THOUGHT DEP RESTRS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESTATED WITH THE ORIGINAL DEP CLRNC. THE TEST PROC WAS APPARENTLY AN ALT ASSIGNMENT CHANGE TO FL190. HE WAS NOT ADVISED THE AMENDED ALT INTENT, WHICH WAS USUALLY FL230. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE TOLD THE FO THAT THEY WOULD QUESTION CLRNC RESTRS WHEN AIRBORNE. THE ACFT WAS LIGHT AND HE WAS AT A HIGH CLB RATE WHEN ASKING DEP CTL ABOUT THE ROPPR XING RESTR. THE RPTR HAS FLOWN INTO LAS 3 MORE TIMES SINCE THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR STATED THAT LAS HAS BECOME A VERY DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT, NOT ONLY HAS ARR AND DEP PROCS CHANGED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS, THE CTLRS HAVE BECOME TERSE AND AGGRESSIVE. BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES, PLTS HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING CLRNCS, ADDING TO FREQ CONGESTION AND COMPLEXITY. THE RPTR'S ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE LNAV EQUIP ONLY. THE RPTR ALLEGED THAT VNAV EQUIP WOULD HAVE PROBABLY ENSURED THE DEP XING RESTR WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH.

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.