Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Procedure; Human Factors
Took off out of CMH on runway 28R and on our initial climb to 10;000 feet. We were switched to Departure and checked in climbing to 10;000 feet and were informed to climb and maintain 15;000 feet passing through 11;500 feet ATC told us to maintain 10;000 feet we then stated we were told to climb and maintain 15;000 feet ATC came back and said we weren't. I then stopped the climb and started back to 10;000 feet and we were given a frequency change and then told to climb and maintain FL230.
An air carrier crew departed CMH and thought were cleared to 15;000 feet by departure; but when they called Center they were notified 10;000 feet was their climb limit. So; they started descending down to 10;000 feet only to be cleared to FL230.