Narrative:

MD11. Departed zgsz for ZZZZ. First officer copied ATIS and entered the translation altitude as 3300 meters on the takeoff data card. On departure we cleared to 3300 meters by departure control. I asked control if this was a flight level or altitude. (The controller had a strong accent and radio traffic interference made it hard to understand.) we thought we heard him respond '3300 meters non standard.' we don't normally use this terminology and thought this meant to use qnh/altitudes. Looking back, we must have misunderstood him and he must have said '3300 meters on standard.' (use 1013 hpa/flight level). We next heard from control saying something about 3410 meters. We were unable to understand him and asked if he wanted us to climb. He said maintain 3300 meters and we finally understood he showed us at 3410 meters. At this time he gave us a vector and climb. We switched from 998 hpa (qnh) to 1013 hpa (qne). Here are a few things that helped contribute to this: 1) first officer copied down transition altitude wrong and I did not catch this. On SID transition altitude. Is only entered in feet and not meters, this makes it difficult to xchk. 2) use of terms 'on standard/non standard' 'versus flight level/altitude.' words 'on' and 'non' are too easily confused. 3) language. 4) radio clutter, it was like trying to talk on the radio around new york at noon, but in chinese. Supplemental information from acn 629460: transition level/altitude on ATIS FL108 or 3300 meters. Instructed to climb to 3300 meters. Altimeters set to 0998 hpa. Departure control told us to maintain 3300 meters non standard. Departure control gave us vectors off SID and told us to maintain 3300 meters non standard so we left the altimeters at 0998 hpa. When departure control gave us a further climb we switched altimeter setting to 1013 hpa. Since we don't speak chinese and english is not the controller's primary language, communication is difficult. The published transition altitude is 8800 ft or 2700 meters. We asked several times if the controller wanted 3300 meters or flight level 3300 meters. The controller's reply was always maintain 3300 meters. The controller mentioned 3410 meters but he was unable to understand our question about flight level versus altitude in meters. In hindsight, we should have switched altimeter settings at 2700 meters per the SID plate. However the ATIS said transition altitude was 3300 meters. If the ATIS did say transition level and not altitude I mistook it for altitude and wrote 3300 meters on takeoff data card.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 CREW HAD AN ALT OVERSHOOT DEPARTING ZGSZ.

Narrative: MD11. DEPARTED ZGSZ FOR ZZZZ. FO COPIED ATIS AND ENTERED THE TRANSLATION ALT AS 3300 METERS ON THE TKOF DATA CARD. ON DEP WE CLRED TO 3300 METERS BY DEP CTL. I ASKED CTL IF THIS WAS A FLT LEVEL OR ALT. (THE CTLR HAD A STRONG ACCENT AND RADIO TFC INTERFERENCE MADE IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND.) WE THOUGHT WE HEARD HIM RESPOND '3300 METERS NON STANDARD.' WE DON'T NORMALLY USE THIS TERMINOLOGY AND THOUGHT THIS MEANT TO USE QNH/ALTS. LOOKING BACK, WE MUST HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD HIM AND HE MUST HAVE SAID '3300 METERS ON STANDARD.' (USE 1013 HPA/FLT LEVEL). WE NEXT HEARD FROM CTL SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT 3410 METERS. WE WERE UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND HIM AND ASKED IF HE WANTED US TO CLB. HE SAID MAINTAIN 3300 METERS AND WE FINALLY UNDERSTOOD HE SHOWED US AT 3410 METERS. AT THIS TIME HE GAVE US A VECTOR AND CLB. WE SWITCHED FROM 998 HPA (QNH) TO 1013 HPA (QNE). HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO THIS: 1) FO COPIED DOWN TRANSITION ALT WRONG AND I DID NOT CATCH THIS. ON SID TRANSITION ALT. IS ONLY ENTERED IN FEET AND NOT METERS, THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO XCHK. 2) USE OF TERMS 'ON STANDARD/NON STANDARD' 'VERSUS FLT LEVEL/ALT.' WORDS 'ON' AND 'NON' ARE TOO EASILY CONFUSED. 3) LANGUAGE. 4) RADIO CLUTTER, IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO TALK ON THE RADIO AROUND NEW YORK AT NOON, BUT IN CHINESE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 629460: TRANSITION LEVEL/ALT ON ATIS FL108 OR 3300 METERS. INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO 3300 METERS. ALTIMETERS SET TO 0998 HPA. DEP CTL TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 3300 METERS NON STANDARD. DEP CTL GAVE US VECTORS OFF SID AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 3300 METERS NON STANDARD SO WE LEFT THE ALTIMETERS AT 0998 HPA. WHEN DEP CTL GAVE US A FURTHER CLB WE SWITCHED ALTIMETER SETTING TO 1013 HPA. SINCE WE DON'T SPEAK CHINESE AND ENGLISH IS NOT THE CTLR'S PRIMARY LANGUAGE, COM IS DIFFICULT. THE PUBLISHED TRANSITION ALT IS 8800 FT OR 2700 METERS. WE ASKED SEVERAL TIMES IF THE CTLR WANTED 3300 METERS OR FLT LEVEL 3300 METERS. THE CTLR'S REPLY WAS ALWAYS MAINTAIN 3300 METERS. THE CTLR MENTIONED 3410 METERS BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND OUR QUESTION ABOUT FLT LEVEL VERSUS ALT IN METERS. IN HINDSIGHT, WE SHOULD HAVE SWITCHED ALTIMETER SETTINGS AT 2700 METERS PER THE SID PLATE. HOWEVER THE ATIS SAID TRANSITION ALT WAS 3300 METERS. IF THE ATIS DID SAY TRANSITION LEVEL AND NOT ALT I MISTOOK IT FOR ALT AND WROTE 3300 METERS ON TKOF DATA CARD.

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.