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ARTCC thought he cleared air carrier medium large transport to 16000', but flight crew heard and read back 12000'. ARTCC radar controller did not catch the error until 14500' when less than legal separation happened.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 103258 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198901 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : orf |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 103258 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 750 |
| ASRS Report | 103362 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
I was getting ATIS from norfolk when I heard ZDC call. They told us to descend at pilot's discretion down to 12000'. The first officer read back pilot's discretion to 12000'. At 14500' center questioned our altitude. I replied that we were descending through 14500' for 12000'. Center then said that we were cleared only to 16000'. I replied that we had only heard and read back 12000'. I asked him if he wanted us to climb back up to 16000' and he said, 'no.' he said that there had been traffic. I told him that we had seen the traffic at 2 O'clock and saw no problem. He asked if we had heard him report the traffic to us. We said, 'no.' I later asked him if there would be a problem about the occurrence. He replied, 'not for you, but one for me.' then we contacted norfolk approach.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC THOUGHT HE CLEARED ACR MLG TO 16000', BUT FLT CREW HEARD AND READ BACK 12000'. ARTCC RADAR CTLR DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR UNTIL 14500' WHEN LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION HAPPENED.
Narrative: I WAS GETTING ATIS FROM NORFOLK WHEN I HEARD ZDC CALL. THEY TOLD US TO DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION DOWN TO 12000'. THE F/O READ BACK PLT'S DISCRETION TO 12000'. AT 14500' CENTER QUESTIONED OUR ALT. I REPLIED THAT WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 14500' FOR 12000'. CENTER THEN SAID THAT WE WERE CLRED ONLY TO 16000'. I REPLIED THAT WE HAD ONLY HEARD AND READ BACK 12000'. I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED US TO CLB BACK UP TO 16000' AND HE SAID, 'NO.' HE SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN TFC. I TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD SEEN THE TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK AND SAW NO PROB. HE ASKED IF WE HAD HEARD HIM RPT THE TFC TO US. WE SAID, 'NO.' I LATER ASKED HIM IF THERE WOULD BE A PROB ABOUT THE OCCURRENCE. HE REPLIED, 'NOT FOR YOU, BUT ONE FOR ME.' THEN WE CONTACTED NORFOLK APCH.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.