Narrative:

On jun/mon/89, at approximately XX00, I took off from NAS kingsville on a post maintenance check flight in MTR X. I was initially cleared to 11,000 with the king's one high block on request. I contacted houston on 323.1 requesting a higher altitude. They told me to climb and maintain FL370. Upon reaching 370, I completed my engine performance checks. While I checked the engines for compressor stalls, my altitude varied from 360 to 370. At the completion of my checks at FL370 I called houston center requesting clearance to descend to the king's one low and mid blocks. I received a very garbled reply from houston center which I believed to be 'cleared to descend to FL240, report reaching'. I replied 'call sign, roger, leaving 370 for 240'. I received no further response from houston center and started my descent. Passing FL320 I noticed a light in the landing gear handle and that my right main landing gear was indicating unsafe. I slowed to 165 and was trying to ascertain if the landing gear was hanging or if the landing gear uplock was malfunctioning. Passing FL300 I heard kingsville approach call on guard that I had traffic and to contact houston center on frequency 323.1. I tried repeatedly to contact houston on this frequency with no luck. I then tried local channel 12 and was told to again try and contact houston center on 323.1, that I had an airliner at my 9 O'clock and to descend and maintain FL290 and to squawk identify if I copied. I was already at FL290 so I maintained my altitude, squawked identify, and started a right turn to get more separation from the air carrier Y at my 10 O'clock at approximately 2 mi. They told me to contact houston center on 323.1. I told them I could not contact anyone on that frequency, that I was level at FL290, and I was requesting a descent into the king's one low and mid block. I was cleared to descend into the low and mid block and then asked why I had descended out of FL370. I responded that I had received clearance to descend and maintain FL240. I contacted (name) and told him my side of the story. He replied that the tapes he had listened to confirmed that I had indeed requested a descent from FL370 to the king's one and mid block and that the tape was unclear on my call leaving altitude, that the only clear part of the call was my call sign. He also indicated that I had started descending before I requested the descent. I replied that it was common for altitude to vary on a check flight and that was why the readout might be interpreted to look as if I were descending. He then told me that he had already started the paperwork and that this incident would be forwarded to the department of the navy for further action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MTR CONFLICTED WITH AN ACR DURING AN UNAUTH DESCENT.

Narrative: ON JUN/MON/89, AT APPROX XX00, I TOOK OFF FROM NAS KINGSVILLE ON A POST MAINT CHECK FLT IN MTR X. I WAS INITIALLY CLRED TO 11,000 WITH THE KING'S ONE HIGH BLOCK ON REQUEST. I CONTACTED HOUSTON ON 323.1 REQUESTING A HIGHER ALT. THEY TOLD ME TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN FL370. UPON REACHING 370, I COMPLETED MY ENGINE PERFORMANCE CHECKS. WHILE I CHECKED THE ENGINES FOR COMPRESSOR STALLS, MY ALT VARIED FROM 360 TO 370. AT THE COMPLETION OF MY CHECKS AT FL370 I CALLED HOUSTON CENTER REQUESTING CLRNC TO DSND TO THE KING'S ONE LOW AND MID BLOCKS. I RECEIVED A VERY GARBLED REPLY FROM HOUSTON CENTER WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE 'CLRED TO DSND TO FL240, REPORT REACHING'. I REPLIED 'CALL SIGN, ROGER, LEAVING 370 FOR 240'. I RECEIVED NO FURTHER RESPONSE FROM HOUSTON CENTER AND STARTED MY DSCNT. PASSING FL320 I NOTICED A LIGHT IN THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE AND THAT MY RIGHT MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS INDICATING UNSAFE. I SLOWED TO 165 AND WAS TRYING TO ASCERTAIN IF THE LNDG GEAR WAS HANGING OR IF THE LNDG GEAR UPLOCK WAS MALFUNCTIONING. PASSING FL300 I HEARD KINGSVILLE APCH CALL ON GUARD THAT I HAD TFC AND TO CONTACT HOUSTON CENTER ON FREQ 323.1. I TRIED REPEATEDLY TO CONTACT HOUSTON ON THIS FREQ WITH NO LUCK. I THEN TRIED LOCAL CHANNEL 12 AND WAS TOLD TO AGAIN TRY AND CONTACT HOUSTON CENTER ON 323.1, THAT I HAD AN AIRLINER AT MY 9 O'CLOCK AND TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL290 AND TO SQUAWK IDENT IF I COPIED. I WAS ALREADY AT FL290 SO I MAINTAINED MY ALT, SQUAWKED IDENT, AND STARTED A RIGHT TURN TO GET MORE SEPARATION FROM THE ACR Y AT MY 10 O'CLOCK AT APPROX 2 MI. THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT HOUSTON CENTER ON 323.1. I TOLD THEM I COULD NOT CONTACT ANYONE ON THAT FREQ, THAT I WAS LEVEL AT FL290, AND I WAS REQUESTING A DSCNT INTO THE KING'S ONE LOW AND MID BLOCK. I WAS CLRED TO DSND INTO THE LOW AND MID BLOCK AND THEN ASKED WHY I HAD DESCENDED OUT OF FL370. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL240. I CONTACTED (NAME) AND TOLD HIM MY SIDE OF THE STORY. HE REPLIED THAT THE TAPES HE HAD LISTENED TO CONFIRMED THAT I HAD INDEED REQUESTED A DSCNT FROM FL370 TO THE KING'S ONE AND MID BLOCK AND THAT THE TAPE WAS UNCLEAR ON MY CALL LEAVING ALT, THAT THE ONLY CLEAR PART OF THE CALL WAS MY CALL SIGN. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT I HAD STARTED DESCENDING BEFORE I REQUESTED THE DSCNT. I REPLIED THAT IT WAS COMMON FOR ALT TO VARY ON A CHECK FLT AND THAT WAS WHY THE READOUT MIGHT BE INTERPRETED TO LOOK AS IF I WERE DESCENDING. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT HE HAD ALREADY STARTED THE PAPERWORK AND THAT THIS INCIDENT WOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE DEPT OF THE NAVY FOR FURTHER ACTION.

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.