Narrative:

I was the captain and the PNF. We departed bjc on a repositioning flight. First officer got the clearance and programmed the FMS. We were cleared for the PIKES4 SID. Unbeknownst to me; our clearance was to 8000 ft. First officer set 10000 ft in the altitude alerter; probably because the commercial chart SID has that altitude in bold face type. (Our instrumentation will not allow us to save an altitude in the alerter because we must turn off the avionics to start engines. Clearance was received about 30 mins prior to departure so there was about a 30 min lag between receipt of clearance and programming the altitude alerter.) closer inspection reveals that 10000 ft is for denver international airport only; other airports utilizing the same SID (and commercial chart company provides only 1 set of SID's for all the denver airports) are told to climb to altitude designated by ATC. In preparing to make this report; I accessed the government SID for this departure and it has the 'altitude designated by ATC' bold faced and the 10000 ft in regular type; just the opposite of commercial chart company. Passing 9000 ft denver departure queried us for the altitude we were climbing to. I responded 'to 10000.' the controller then told us to descend and maintain 9000 ft and that our clearance was to 8000 ft; not 10000 ft. We complied and nothing further was said by denver concerning this matter. There was no conflict with other aircraft nor were any evasive maneuvers required. We just climbed to the wrong altitude. Bjc shares the SID plates with several other denver area airports and several notes are listed. As previously noted; the government plates are more clear for this departure; but we do not carry them; only commercial chart. I feel that this situation was caused by an honest mistake. This incident has made abundantly clear that both pilots need to review the clearance as written and not rely on the other crew member to enter it correctly. Supplemental information from acn 767255: I received clearance from bjc ground to climb to 8000 ft on the PIKES4 SID. During review of the SID prior to engine start; I noticed the bold 'maintain 10000 ft' for den. After engine start I dialed 10000 ft into the altitude select window instead of 8000 ft. The only reason I can think of for the mistake was that the bold 10000 ft (even though for the wrong airport) remained in my memory more than the 8000 ft I wrote down from clearance delivery. On departure we climbed towards 10000 ft. Passing 9300 ft; denver departure asked us to what altitude we were climbing? We replied '10000 ft; our assigned.' denver assigned us 9000 ft. We then checked the paper I wrote the clearance on; and realized our mistake. Note: it is interesting to note the difference in presentation from the government plate and the commercial plate. I don't think the mistake would have happened with the government plate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CE560 FLT CREW CLIMBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE ON DEPARTURE FROM BJC AND BELIEVES COMMERCIAL CHART MAKER'S UNTAILORED DEN PIKES4 SID LED TO THE ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT AND THE PNF. WE DEPARTED BJC ON A REPOSITIONING FLT. FO GOT THE CLRNC AND PROGRAMMED THE FMS. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE PIKES4 SID. UNBEKNOWNST TO ME; OUR CLRNC WAS TO 8000 FT. FO SET 10000 FT IN THE ALT ALERTER; PROBABLY BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL CHART SID HAS THAT ALT IN BOLD FACE TYPE. (OUR INSTRUMENTATION WILL NOT ALLOW US TO SAVE AN ALT IN THE ALERTER BECAUSE WE MUST TURN OFF THE AVIONICS TO START ENGS. CLRNC WAS RECEIVED ABOUT 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP SO THERE WAS ABOUT A 30 MIN LAG BTWN RECEIPT OF CLRNC AND PROGRAMMING THE ALT ALERTER.) CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALS THAT 10000 FT IS FOR DENVER INTL ARPT ONLY; OTHER ARPTS UTILIZING THE SAME SID (AND COMMERCIAL CHART COMPANY PROVIDES ONLY 1 SET OF SID'S FOR ALL THE DENVER ARPTS) ARE TOLD TO CLB TO ALT DESIGNATED BY ATC. IN PREPARING TO MAKE THIS RPT; I ACCESSED THE GOV SID FOR THIS DEP AND IT HAS THE 'ALT DESIGNATED BY ATC' BOLD FACED AND THE 10000 FT IN REGULAR TYPE; JUST THE OPPOSITE OF COMMERCIAL CHART COMPANY. PASSING 9000 FT DENVER DEP QUERIED US FOR THE ALT WE WERE CLBING TO. I RESPONDED 'TO 10000.' THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 9000 FT AND THAT OUR CLRNC WAS TO 8000 FT; NOT 10000 FT. WE COMPLIED AND NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID BY DENVER CONCERNING THIS MATTER. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT NOR WERE ANY EVASIVE MANEUVERS REQUIRED. WE JUST CLBED TO THE WRONG ALT. BJC SHARES THE SID PLATES WITH SEVERAL OTHER DENVER AREA ARPTS AND SEVERAL NOTES ARE LISTED. AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED; THE GOV PLATES ARE MORE CLR FOR THIS DEP; BUT WE DO NOT CARRY THEM; ONLY COMMERCIAL CHART. I FEEL THAT THIS SITUATION WAS CAUSED BY AN HONEST MISTAKE. THIS INCIDENT HAS MADE ABUNDANTLY CLR THAT BOTH PLTS NEED TO REVIEW THE CLRNC AS WRITTEN AND NOT RELY ON THE OTHER CREW MEMBER TO ENTER IT CORRECTLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 767255: I RECEIVED CLRNC FROM BJC GND TO CLB TO 8000 FT ON THE PIKES4 SID. DURING REVIEW OF THE SID PRIOR TO ENG START; I NOTICED THE BOLD 'MAINTAIN 10000 FT' FOR DEN. AFTER ENG START I DIALED 10000 FT INTO THE ALT SELECT WINDOW INSTEAD OF 8000 FT. THE ONLY REASON I CAN THINK OF FOR THE MISTAKE WAS THAT THE BOLD 10000 FT (EVEN THOUGH FOR THE WRONG ARPT) REMAINED IN MY MEMORY MORE THAN THE 8000 FT I WROTE DOWN FROM CLRNC DELIVERY. ON DEP WE CLBED TOWARDS 10000 FT. PASSING 9300 FT; DENVER DEP ASKED US TO WHAT ALT WE WERE CLBING? WE REPLIED '10000 FT; OUR ASSIGNED.' DENVER ASSIGNED US 9000 FT. WE THEN CHKED THE PAPER I WROTE THE CLRNC ON; AND REALIZED OUR MISTAKE. NOTE: IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THE DIFFERENCE IN PRESENTATION FROM THE GOV PLATE AND THE COMMERCIAL PLATE. I DON'T THINK THE MISTAKE WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH THE GOV PLATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.