Date: 201605
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: D10.TRACON, TX
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Climb
Airspace: Class B DAL
ATC / advisory: TRACON D10
Second aircraft: Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Departure
Second reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Altitude Undershoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Detector: Automation Aircraft TA; Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Airspace Structure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Aircraft X departed DAL on runway heading climbing to 050. This departure instruction [was] being used due to weather. On initial contact; the crew was instructed to climb to 170. He read back the clearance. A Regional Jet departed DFW on a 010 heading climbing to 100. Aircraft X leveled at 050; contrary to his clearance. I issued a 20 degree left turn and his reply was basically 'What?' I issued the turn again and once again he wasn't listening. I then advised him that he was supposed to be climbing to 170 and he started climbing. Closest proximity prior to divergence was approximately 1.66 miles and 0 feet. Had Aircraft X climbed as instructed and acknowledged; he was climbing well enough that he would have been well above the Regional Jet.This procedure requires that all parties do as expected. A pilot leveling off will not work. We've tried other workarounds for doing this and they all have their problems. This is the most efficient way to run the traffic under this condition; but as previously stated; everyone must do what is expected. An unexpected level off won't work.


Second narrative: Our initial takeoff clearance was runway heading to 5;000 ft. After takeoff; I noticed PF (Pilot Flying) forgot TO/GA (Take Off Go Around); so I selected it. As we initiated aircraft cleanup; (using heavyweight speed adjustments); in rapid succession; I noticed we had not gotten the flaps up and were approaching 220 knots; and ATC had given us 'continue to climb to 17;000 ft;' and I think he also provided a new heading (though not sure of the timing of the new heading call). I called out the new altitude; but prioritized the flaps; as the PF was focused on the flying the aircraft (he later stated and verbalized shortly afterward that the command bars were two to three degrees off from the aircraft symbol; and he was verifying the aircraft was on runway heading; and not drifting). I retracted the flaps and stated; 'Watch your airspeed'. The distraction was enough for me to forget to set the new altitude in the window; and the aircraft started to level off at 5;000 ft. Immediately and simultaneously; ATC stated 'showing you leveling; I told you to climb'. I acknowledged and stated we were climbing. We immediately complied and received a TA. The PF had the aircraft in sight (below us); and disconnected the autopilot; and initiated an aggressive climb. I queried again about the heading; but ATC cleared us to a fix further along on the SID. A frequency change ensued without further comment from ATC. Communication between the Flight Crew; as well as with ATC; was compressed; and difficult; due to no intercom capability on the [aircraft]. Switching back and forth on the toggle; under such time compression; and distraction; was beyond my capability at the time. The PF later stated that he never heard the continue to climb to 17;000 ft call. This was also around the time I noticed the flaps down. An intercom would have helped the situation. Not worrying about the command bars; cleaning up the aircraft on schedule; might have eliminated a major distraction at a critical time. As PM; I could and should have done a better job with this task. Neither of us had flown [this model aircraft] in a long time and some adjustment is needed.


Synopsis: Air carrier Flight Crew reporting departing DAL with a clearance to level at 5000 feet and was instructed to continue climbing to 17000 feet but the MCP altitude window was not adjusted and the aircraft leveled off. The clearance was reissued and the crew started to climb but not in time to avoid a loss of separation with a Regional Jet departing DFW.