ACR MLG ALTDEV UNDERSHOT DURING CLB OUT FROM IAH.

Narrative

PRE-DEP CLRNC WAS RECEIVED VIA PRINTED COPY ALONG WITH FLT PLAN AND OTHER FLT PAPERS. THE COURSE FOR DEP WAS PLACED PROPERLY. THE TRANSPONDER CODE WAS INSERTED PROPERLY; BUT THE DEP CLRNC LIMIT ALT WAS NOT TRANSFERRED TO ALT ALERT WINDOW CORRECTLY. 2000 FT WAS PLACED IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW INSTEAD OF THE PDC MESSAGE ALT LIMIT OF 4000 FT. DISCOVERY: ON DEP WE LEVELED OFF AT 2000 FT AND ASKED DEP CTL FOR A HIGHER ALT. DEP CTL THEN ASKED IF WE KNEW OUR DEP ALT LIMIT. WE THEN REALIZED SOMETHING WAS NOT CORRECT. EVENTUALLY WE FOUND THE PDC MESSAGE IN OUR PAPERS AND REALIZED OUR MISTAKE. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: HURRIED COCKPIT PREPARATION BY FLC DUE TO MAINT PERSONNEL HAVING CTL OF ACFT UNTIL ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE DEP. CORRECTIVE ACTION: I HAVE NOW SELECTED A PLACE IN THE COCKPIT PREPARATION FLOW WHERE THE PDC MESSAGE (OR RADIO DELIVERED CLRNC) WILL BE REVIEWED BY BOTH PLTS AND CRITICAL INFO SET IMPROPER WINDOWS FOR DEP. ALSO SUGGEST THE PDC MESSAGE BE REFORMATTED TO BE MORE PLT USER FRIENDLY; NAMELY DISPLAY THE ALT FIRST AFTER THE FLT NUMBER AND ON A LINE BY ITSELF AND WITH A LINE SPACE ABOVE AND BELOW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 195504: PLTS (INITIAL HDG; ALT AND SQUAWK) ARE BURIED AMONG OTHER NON ESSENTIAL VERBIAGE. NEED BETTER FORMAT TO HIGHLIGHT CRITICAL INFO SINCE READBACK IS NO LONGER REQUIRED.