A CHARTER PLT RECEIVING AN IFR CLRNC TOOK A COUPLE OF TRIES BEFORE HE AND THE CTLR AGREED ON THE READBACK. UNFORTUNATELY; SOMEWHERE IN THE COM CONFUSION THE CORRECT ALT WAS MISINTERPED.

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I CALLED FOR MY IFR CLRNC TO ORF ON POPE AFB'S CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ. WHILE LISTENING TO THE CLRNC; I REALIZED I NEEDED TO STOP AT THE JOHNSTON COUNTY ARPT; BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET FUEL AT POPE AFB. I CONTINUED TO COPY THE CLRNC. HOWEVER; WHEN THE CTLR FINISHED; I ASKED IF I COULD PROCEED VFR TO JOHNSTON COUNTY. HE RESPONDED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO IN; AND REFILE A NEW FLT PLAN. DUE TO WORK ON AND AROUND THE RWY; POPE HAD BEEN CLOSED; AND WAS OPENED ONLY LONG ENOUGH FOR US TO LAND; DROP OFF; AND DEPART ON A VERY QUICK TURN; SO I OPTED TO LEAVE ON THE ORIGINAL CLRNC. I READ BACK THE ORIGINAL CLRNC WITH SOME ERRORS IN THE ROUTING; AND AN INITIAL ALT OF 3000 FT. THE CTLR PROMPTLY READ THE CORRECT ROUTING TO ME; BUT MADE NO MENTION OF THE ALT. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AS I HAD WRITTEN IT DOWN; AND WAS TOLD 'READBACK CORRECT.' THE PROB AROSE AS THE RESULT OF THE CTLR STATING THAT MY READBACK WAS CORRECT; CONFIRMING TO ME THAT MY ALT WAS; IN FACT; 3000 FT INITIALLY AND TO EXPECT 13000 FT IN 10 MINS. WHEN I WAS HANDED FROM TWR TO APCH; I CHKED IN AT 3000 FT. THE APCH CTLR ASKED ME TO 'SAY ALT;' TO WHICH I REPLIED '2800 FT; LEVELING AT 3000 FT.' HE THEN TOLD ME THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO 2000 FT. BEFORE I COULD RESPOND; HE CLRED ME UP TO 10000 FT. PROB: POPE CLRNC DELIVERY CONFIRMED AN INCORRECT ALT 'READBACK.' PROB AROSE FROM CONFUSION AND BEING PUSHED TO HURRY. DISCOVERED: WHEN APCH ASKED FOR ALT; AND INFORMED ME OF A LOWER ALT 'ASSIGNMENT.' CONTRIBUTING FACTORS; HURRIED ENVIRONMENT; AND MISSED ERROR IN READBACK; AS WELL AS CONFIRMATION OF THAT ERROR. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: SLOW DOWN AND LISTEN MORE CAREFULLY.