ALTDEV ON DEP.

Narrative

WE DEPARTED SFO ON RWY 28L WITH A GAP2 DEP; CLRED TO 3000 FT. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS THE FO. AFTER A NORMAL TKOF; WE WERE PASSING 2000 FT AND I MADE THE CALL '1000 FT TO GO;' WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE CAPT. WE WERE ACCELERATING TO 250 KTS WITH FLAPS AND SLATS UP. AT 2200 FT; THE CTLR CLRED US DIRECT BEBOP. I WAS PUZZLED FOR A SECOND BECAUSE WE HAD FILED THE ALPHA TRACK. I QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT HIS CLRNC TO BEBOP WHEN OUR FLT PLAN SHOWED ALCOA AND THE ALPHA TRACK. THE CTLR THEN ACKNOWLEDGED OUR FLT PLAN AND CLRED US TO ALCOA. I THEN REACHED FOR THE FLT PLAN SO THAT I COULD VERIFY THAT WAYPOINT #1; IN THE INS'S; WAS ALCOA. AS I BEGAN MY VERIFICATION; THE SO STATED WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 3000 FT. AS I LOOKED UP WE WERE PASSING 3800 FT. I TOLD THE CAPT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 3000 FT. THE CAPT THEN SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 15000 FT AND THAT HE HEARD THE CTLR GIVE US CLRNC TO 15000 FT. THE SO AND I SAID WE DID NOT HEAR THE CLRNC TO 15000 FT. THE CAPT THEN ASKED ME TO ASK THE CTLR ABOUT OUR CLRED ALT. THE CTLR PROMPTLY CLRED US TO 10000 FT. THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF SOP HAD BEEN FOLLOWED BY THE CAPT AND IF HE HAD COMMUNICATED TO THE REST OF THE CREW HIS PERCEIVED HEARING OF A CLRNC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO HAS HAD TO TURN IN THE CAPT OF THIS INCIDENT FOR ANOTHER BREACH OF THE NORM. THIS WAS SO RECENT THAT THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW THE OUTCOME. OTHER FO'S; ACCORDING TO THE 'GRAPEVINE;' HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBS WITH THIS CAPT. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE MAIN PROB IS THAT THE CAPT IS 'FLYING BEYOND HIS SKILLS.' THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THIS CAPT MAY 'KILL SOMEONE SOME DAY.' THE CAPT HAS BEEN FLYING THE DC-10 FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS.