A BE02 FLC OVERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT DURING A CLRNC INTERP PROB. CTLR FAILED TO CATCH ERRONEOUS READBACK.

Narrative

ON APR/XA/98 I WAS PIC AND PF ON FLT FROM PBI TO MCO. AT APPROX XY45 WE DEPARTED RWY 9L; HDG 095 DEGS WITH A CLB TO 1500 FT; WATCH FOR TFC (1500 FT ALSO COINCIDES WITH OUR COMPANY CHKLIST FOR 'CLB PWR; CLB CHK'). AT THIS MOMENT; WE WERE FURTHER CLRED TO A HIGHER ALT; TURN L TO 360 DEGS; EXPEDITE THROUGH 6000 FT FOR TFC; AND INTERCEPT V531 ON COURSE. I'M NOT SURE IF HE REALLY GAVE US 9000 FT OR NOT; BUT WE READ BACK 10000 FT AND PUT 10000 FT IN OUR ALT SELECTOR. AFTER TURNING TO INTERCEPT THE COURSE; THE CTLR INQUIRED IF WE WERE LEVEL AT 9000 FT. WE RESPONDED THAT WE READ BACK 10000 FT AND WE WERE LEVEL AT 10000 FT. HE SAID HE HAD ONLY CLRED US TO 9000 FT. AT THAT TIME HE CLRED US TO DSND TO 9000 FT. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC NEAR US AT THAT TIME. ON BOARD; AND PLUGGED IN WAS AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR CONDUCTING A LINE CHK. HE ALSO HEARD US READ BACK 10000 FT. THE DIFFICULTY WE EXPERIENCED IS COMMON FOR US AT PBI. WHEREAS; AT THE 1500 FT LEVEL WE MUST PERFORM THE FOLLOWING: LEVEL OFF; WATCH FOR TFC FROM THE PARALLEL RWY; CLB PWR CLB CHK; SLOW UP THE ACFT TO NOT EXCEED ATA MAX AIRSPD; AND THEN RECEIVE CLRNC WITH 3 OR 4 SEPARATE ITEMS INCLUDING ALT; HDG; EXPEDITE; AND INTERCEPT. WE'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY PBI HAS A 1500 FT LIMIT; WHILE MAINTAINING HDG 095 DEGS; HDG THE WRONG DIRECTION OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. A MISTAKE WAS MADE BY US AND BY THE CTLR AS HE FAILED TO CORRECT OUR READBACK.