B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 236; Flight Crew Type 236
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction
Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Procedure
Our PDC clearance included 'Climb Via the POMONA 7 Departure except maintain 14;000'.'  My First Officer and I both understood this to be a deletion of the published hold down altitude over POMONA of 7000'.  As we approached 7000'; departure control transmitted that we were still expected to comply with the hold down.  He issued another clearance before a deviation occurred but this highlighted a discrepancy in our interpretation of the PDC clearance.
Received PDC clearance 'Cleared POM7 Departure; Climb Via SID; except maintain 14;000'.' We reviewed PDC in clearance brief and deleted the POMONA 7000' 'at or below' hold down during clearance brief while at the gate.  The POM7 does not specify a maintain altitude under the routing section of the SID.  We concluded that the 'Except' provision in the 'Climb Via' must apply to the only hold down so it was deleted. If the word 'Except' was deleted; e.g; 'Climb Via SID; maintain 14;000';' there would have been no doubt that the hold down applied.  I was looking for the literal reason for the 'Except maintain 14;000';' and we concluded that the only thing it could apply to was the only hold down.  Near POMONA at or close to 7000'; the SoCal Controller commented the hold down applied and cleared us to next fix.
Pilots departing ONT airport receive PDC of Climb via except maintain 14;000 FT.  Pilots do not make crossing restrictions prior to reaching 14;000 FT.