B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 13500; Flight Crew Type 1500
Other / Unknown
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Chart Or Publication; Human Factors
We departed for a planned 4-hour; post 'C'-check; Functional Check Flight. The Captain brought NOS plates and charts instead of our usual Jeppesen plates and charts. After receiving our ATC clearance; which included the THRSR Seven departure; the Captain inputted the Departure Procedure (DP) into the FMS computer. I was reviewing the DP and after looking over the over-head diagram of the DP on the NOS plate; I began to read the noted instructions for a departure off of Runway 08L. My eyes then jumped to the bottom of the page to note the Takeoff Obstacle Notes for our runway. I then verified the navigation points in the FMS with those on the plate. I completely missed the '...Maintain 10;000...' verbiage. I noticed that there were not any 'canned' altitudes loaded in the FMS as part of the DP. I then looked at the THRSR 7 plates; after having dropped them once or twice onto the cockpit floor; in the mean time; and was becoming a bit frustrated with their cumbersomeness; since they are designed for kneeboards and not a Boeing yoke/chart clips. After finding the DP again; I scanned the over-head view of the plate for an Initial and/or Top altitude. I noticed '14;000' at THRSR; made a mental note of it; and then continued onto the next page of the DP; visually scanned it; and not noticing any altitude information; I inputted '14;000' at THRSR; which I assumed to be the charted 'Top Altitude.' I again completely missed the '...Maintain 10;000...' note. (The 14;000 feet note was actually the MEA between THRSR and LUCKK). The Captain did a somewhat rushed; pre-departure briefing; and apparently did not read the DP closely enough to notice the '14;000 at THRSR' error as well as the '...Maintain 10;000...' verbiage. After we departed ATL's Runway 08L; I checked in with Departure using the '...climbing via the SID' verbiage. When we were a few miles from HYZMN; I called out traffic high and to our 10 o'clock position (on TCAS) and 2400 feet above us and descending. We immediately acquired the traffic and naturally were maintaining visual separation; as it seemed to be heading for HYZMN as well. When I realized that the regional jet might very soon become a conflict; I instructed the Captain to flatten-out our climb; which he did; so we would not get an RA on our TCAS. The controller asked us to what altitude we were climbing to and to descend to 10;000 feet. I said '14;000;' realizing that it was apparently wrong. After the RJ passed overhead; ATC again asked what altitude we were climbing to and then cleared us higher. He then told us '...possible pilot deviation' and gave us a number to call. This event would never have happened if we would have more carefully read the DP. Since I personally have almost no experience using NOS plates; I should have spent some time familiarizing myself with them outside of the cockpit well before our FCIF mission that day. We also should have had a more disciplined and thorough pre-departure briefing that would have had us both reviewing the DP together; which is obviously a best practice; and one I normally insist on; but especially at ATL; which is a non-familiar airport to the both of us. Also; instead of using the phraseology; '...climbing via the SID'; if the initial call would have included either the charted top altitude or the ATC assigned altitude; i.e.; in our case; if I would have checked-in with Departure Control and said '...climbing 14;000' instead of OR along with; '...climbing via the SID'; the ATC Controller probably would have caught our error well before it became a deviation.
During initial departure climb out of ATL on the THRSR SEVEN RNAV departure; we set 14;000 as our intital altitude after being given 'climb via the SID' on clearance based on altitude we saw in the departure plate. We noticed on TCAS (and spotted visually) traffic above us and monitored. Passing through approx 11;500 ATC directed a descent to 10;000. We adhered to instructions and then we were queried as to what altitude we were climbing to. We responded with 14;000. As we continued comm with ATC; we found 10;000 on the bottom of departure plate. We were advised to contact ATC after our flight.New clearance to 'climb via the SID' requires familiarization with the departure SID to adhere to restrictions. SID's out of ATL have altitude restrictions in a non-standard part of plate.Even after scrutiny of departure plate by both pilots; we still didn't catch the restriction until additional reviews. I suggest that the altitude restiction be annotated (and/or highlighted) on plan view as well as mentioned on each individual runway narrative.
B737 flight crew reports an altitude deviation departing ATL on the THRSR 7 due to not noticing the 10;000 foot limit in the routing box. The First Officer was using NOS plates which he was not familiar with.