CFI WITH STUDENT ON AN IFR FLT WERE ADVISED BY ATC THAT THEY HAD OVERSHOT THEIR CLRNC ALT WHEN IN FACT THEY HAD NOT.

Narrative

A STUDENT PLT WITH AROUND 90 HRS AND I RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC FOR OUR ACFT. ABOUT 15 MINS BEFORE DEP TIME; SET FOR XA00 AM LCL TIME. THE CLRNC TOLD US TO CLB INITIALLY TO 2000 FT MSL AND TO EXPECT 9000 FT MSL IN 10 MINS. AFTER FLYING UNDER VECTORS ISSUED BY ZME OR DEP; I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH NOW; WE WERE TOLD TO CLB TO 9000 FT. UPON REACHING 5500 OR CTLR INQUIRED ABOUT OUR ALT. AFTER RPTING 5500; HE INFORMED US THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 5000 NOT 9000 FT. ASSUMING HE WAS RIGHT; WE DSNDED TO 5000 MSL. LESS THAN 2 MINS LATER; WE WERE CLRED TO 9000 MSL. WHEN I RETURNED TO H75; HERNANDO; MS; A DAY LATER; I LEARNED FROM MR X'S INSTRUCTOR; THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 9000 MSL IN FACT AND THE CTLR HADN'T SAID 5000. MR X'S INSTRUCTOR; MR Y; HAD BEEN LISTENING TO THE ENTIRE EXCHANGE BY SCANNER AND AFFIRMED MY DOUBTS AS TO THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. IF THE CTLR KNEW HE HAD MADE AN ERROR IN ISSUING HIS CLRNC; THEN HE SHOULD HAVE STATED SO AND AMENDED THE ALT PROFESSIONALLY RATHER THAN PLACE THE BLAME ON THE PLT INTENDING TO COVER FOR HIS OWN MISTAKE.