Narrative:

Departing ont; runway 8R; on the pom 7 departure; aircraft was very light and was enjoying good climb performance. We had briefed that we would request unrestr climb to 14000 ft on initial contact with socal approach (this was our departure clearance altitude). We had also briefed that we would leave 7000 ft in the altitude window (pom restr) until cleared for unrestr climb to 14000 ft. (Instead of allowing the FMS to level off at 7000 ft at pom which was also hard tuned into the altitude restraint for pom in the FMS.) immediately after departure from runway 8R while in our right turn climbing out of approximately 2500 ft we were switched to socal. Socal told us to continue right turn direct to pom and climb and maintain 14000 ft. Captain confirmed this on the radio; turned heading bug to pom; set up FMS for direct pom and turned altitude window to 14000 ft. During his readback he and I both heard him request unrestr climb to 14000 ft. We both thought we heard this confirmed by ATC. Aircraft started to level at 7000 ft approximately 10 mi from pom. I pointed at the altitude window and stated to the captain that we were now cleared unrestr to 14000 ft; please remove crossing restr pom/7000 ft from FMS. (We were in prof and AC was leveling.) he confirmed this to me; cleared pom/7000 ft and we slowly started to climb. At about 7400 ft socal called and said we are restr to 7000 ft at pom. He told us to maintain 8000 ft. I stopped climb at 8000 ft. Captain asked him to confirm we had been given unrestr climb to 14000 ft. He said he had not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER FIRST OFFICER REPORTS EXCEEDING 7000 FOOT RESTRICTION ON POM7 DEPARTING ONT CITING MISCOMMUNICATION WITH ATC.

Narrative: DEPARTING ONT; RWY 8R; ON THE POM 7 DEP; ACFT WAS VERY LIGHT AND WAS ENJOYING GOOD CLB PERFORMANCE. WE HAD BRIEFED THAT WE WOULD REQUEST UNRESTR CLB TO 14000 FT ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH SOCAL APCH (THIS WAS OUR DEP CLRNC ALT). WE HAD ALSO BRIEFED THAT WE WOULD LEAVE 7000 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW (POM RESTR) UNTIL CLRED FOR UNRESTR CLB TO 14000 FT. (INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THE FMS TO LEVEL OFF AT 7000 FT AT POM WHICH WAS ALSO HARD TUNED INTO THE ALT RESTRAINT FOR POM IN THE FMS.) IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP FROM RWY 8R WHILE IN OUR R TURN CLBING OUT OF APPROX 2500 FT WE WERE SWITCHED TO SOCAL. SOCAL TOLD US TO CONTINUE R TURN DIRECT TO POM AND CLB AND MAINTAIN 14000 FT. CAPT CONFIRMED THIS ON THE RADIO; TURNED HDG BUG TO POM; SET UP FMS FOR DIRECT POM AND TURNED ALT WINDOW TO 14000 FT. DURING HIS READBACK HE AND I BOTH HEARD HIM REQUEST UNRESTR CLB TO 14000 FT. WE BOTH THOUGHT WE HEARD THIS CONFIRMED BY ATC. ACFT STARTED TO LEVEL AT 7000 FT APPROX 10 MI FROM POM. I POINTED AT THE ALT WINDOW AND STATED TO THE CAPT THAT WE WERE NOW CLRED UNRESTR TO 14000 FT; PLEASE REMOVE XING RESTR POM/7000 FT FROM FMS. (WE WERE IN PROF AND AC WAS LEVELING.) HE CONFIRMED THIS TO ME; CLRED POM/7000 FT AND WE SLOWLY STARTED TO CLB. AT ABOUT 7400 FT SOCAL CALLED AND SAID WE ARE RESTR TO 7000 FT AT POM. HE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT. I STOPPED CLB AT 8000 FT. CAPT ASKED HIM TO CONFIRM WE HAD BEEN GIVEN UNRESTR CLB TO 14000 FT. HE SAID HE HAD NOT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.