ALTDEV ON CLBOUT.

Narrative

I WAS THE FO ON A FLT FROM HOUSTON TO LAFAYETTE. THIS FLT WAS NOT ON MY OR THE CAPT'S ORIGINAL PAIRING. DUE TO THE EFFECT OF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE CONCERNING ICING CONDITIONS; OUR ACFT WAS LATE FROM THE MAINT HANGAR; AND WE HAD TO BRING THE ARPT FACILITY MANUAL INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. BECAUSE THE FLT WAS ALREADY LATE; THE CAPT TOLD ME TO COMPLETE THE ARPT FACILITY MANUAL REVISIONS AND HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF ALL THE PREFLT PAPER WORK. UPON COMPLETION OF THE ARPT FACILITY MANUAL REVISIONS; WE COMPLETED THE REQUIRED CHKLISTS. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH CLRNC DELIVERY; I READ THE SQUAWK CODE FROM THE XPONDER AND THE CURRENT ATIS FROM THE SPD CARD. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH DEP; I RPTED OUT OF 2500 FT FOR 4000 FT. THE READBACK WAS 'ROGER.' SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT 4000 FT; WE WERE QUERIED AS TO IF WE WANTED A DSCNT BACK TO 3000 FT; OUR FILED ALT; WITH THE REMARK I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY CLRED YOU TO 4000 FT. WE REQUESTED 17000 FT AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED THERE. WITH THE CONFUSION ON ALT; I READ THE PDC AT THE BOTTOM; BURIED IN WITH OTHER INFO; WAS WRITTEN 'EXPECT MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' THIS INFO WAS THERE IF READ CAREFULLY. IT WOULD HELP IF THE ITEMS OF ALT; DEP CTL AND XPONDER WERE LISTED SEPARATELY FROM THE REST OF THE PDC WITH NOTHING ELSE AROUND THEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE ATR-42 AND -72 FOR A REGIONAL ACR. HIS MONTHLY SCHEDULE WAS IN A STATE OF CHAOS DUE TO THE RETRAINING REQUIRED BY AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON FLYING INTO KNOWN ICING. THE RPTR ADMITS THAT HE DIDN'T PROPERLY READ THE PDC AS HIS CAPT SAID THAT THE PREFLT WAS COMPLETE. THE INTERCONTINENTAL 9 SID NORMALLY IS VECTORS TO 4000 FT. THE ACR HAD FLT PLANNED THIS FLT TO STOP AT 3000 FT DUE TO FORECAST ICING. THE RPTR KNEW THAT 4000 FT WAS THE NORM AND THOUGHT NOTHING WAS DIFFERENT UNTIL QUERIED BY TRACON. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER. HE THINKS THAT THE ATR IS A GOOD ACFT IN ICE AS LONG AS ONE PAYS ATTN AND KEEPS THE FLAPS UP WHILE HOLDING.