Citation Excel (C560XL)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
When contacting departure after take off; I reported passing 1;200 FT; or thereabouts; climbing to 4;000 FT in a right turn to the heading given to us by DWH Tower just before take off. The Controller responded back that we were in radar contact and after several seconds came back asking what altitude we were climbing to. I told him we were climbing to 4;000 FT. He then said that he didn't know what happened; but that we should have been cleared to climb to 2;000 FT but to go ahead and climb to 5;000 FT. I told him that we had been cleared to climb via the SID and that the altitude on the SID was 4;000 FT. He indicated there was no problem and he would check into what happened. Later; when my partner and I had a chance to review what had happened my partner indicated that he messed up when briefing me on the clearance he had gotten and when putting the altitude in the altitude alerter. We had actually been cleared to climb via the SID; except to climb and maintain 2;000 FT versus the 4;000 FT stated on the SID (STYCK1). Also; after engine start; when putting in the altitude in the altitude alerter; he looked at the SID for the altitude instead of what he had written down when receiving the clearance. I had verified the altitude on the SID plate based on his briefing of the clearance rather than looking at what he actually wrote down. A couple of things come to mind that would reduce the likelihood of this kind of situation occurring. First; I am guessing that the altitude restriction of 2;000 FT is given a lot on this departure versus the stated altitude on the SID plate of 4;000 FT. I think all SID's should have the safest and most restrictive (lowest) altitude on the plate rather than the other way around. I think it would be much safer and prevent such an event occurring if the SID stated to climb to 2;000 FT with the exception being to climb to 4;000 FT or some higher altitude when given to a crew by ATC. On departures; the problem is always if you climb too high initially; rather than stopping too low unless terrain or obstacles are an issue. Or; just have the SID plate state that the altitude will be given by ATC when receiving the clearance; with no altitude stated on the SID plate at all. I think this should be the SOP for all SID's everywhere. No matter how diligent one is; we are still human and are going to make errors. SOP's and procedures should be written whenever possible to preclude as many gotchas' as possible. Also; I would like to note that the controller had time to have us stop our initial climb at 2;000 FT after my initial contact had there been a conflict with other traffic upon our departure.
I received the clearance about 45 minutes before departure; I briefed the pilot not flying about the clearance and altitude assigned which was 2;000 FT. After 45 minutes we started to taxi and I asked the pilot not flying to review the departure procedure; he read the procedure and noted that the initial altitude was 4;000 FT and set the altitude alerter at 4;000 FT.After takeoff we were instructed to call Departure; the pilot not flying called Departure as we were passing 1;100 FT climbing to 4;000 FT. Personally I remember Departure Control to say climb to 4;000 FT; after a minute or so he came back and said; 'I don't know what happened between you and the Tower at DWH; but you were supposed to maintain 2;000 FT initially'; but he did not inform us that we had an altitude deviation nor gave us a phone number to call. The pilot reading a departure procedure should always crosscheck the altitude depicted in the procedure against the altitude given by clearance that we write down on the flight plan; specially when departing from a satellite airport.
CE560XL flight crew reported being cleared to depart DWH via the STYCK 1 except maintain 2;000 FT which is set in the altitude alerter. During taxi the departure is briefed and the SID altitude of 4;000 FT is set in the alerter by the pilot not flying Captain and not challenged by the First Officer who copied the clearance.