1998-05 · NASA ASRS report 402280
A PVT SK76 FLC CLBED ABOVE THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE FLC CONFUSED A HEADING WITH THE ASSIGNED ALT.
UPON DEPARTING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM OWD WE WERE GIVEN A HEADING CHANGE FROM TWR TO HEAD 300 DEGS; AFTER REACHING 1000 FT AND THEN SWITCH TO DEP CTL. WE BELIEVED THE TWR TOLD US TO CLB TO 3000 FT AS WELL; BUT HE MAY NOT HAVE. OUR ORIGINAL DEP ALT WAS 2000 FT. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH DEP CTL HE ASKED US OUR ALT AND WE SAID 2500 FT. HE SAID OUR CLRNC WAS TO 2000 FT NOT 3000 FT. I BELIEVE THE REASON FOR THE CONFUSION WAS THE CHANGE TWR GAVE US TO TURN L TO 300 DEGS AT 1000 FT AND IT WAS A BUSY COCKPIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 401877: UPON CLBOUT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN L TO 300 DEG HDG. UPON REACHING 1000 FT WE MADE OUR TURN (L) TO 300 DEG HDG. WHEN WE RECEIVED THIS CLRNC I WROTE ON MY PAD THE HEADING WE WERE TO TURN; 300 DEGS; AND I WROTE IT NEXT TO OUR INITIAL CLB ALT OF 2000 FT. ONCE WE BEGAN OUR TURN WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE. AS I WAS TUNING THE RADIO THE PF ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED TO 3000 FT. I WAS PREOCCUPYING MYSELF WITH THE FREQ CHANGE AND WHEN HE ASKED ME; I QUICKLY GLANCED AT MY PAD AND SAW 300 DEGS AND I MISTOOK THAT FOR 3000 FT AND I TOLD THE PF WE WERE CLRED TO 3000 FT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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