Narrative:

Had departed bdl for bos on the bdl 2 departure to orw at 13000' MSL. Approaching orw we were given holding instructions that were non standard and consequently resulted in our erroneous descent from 13000'. The first officer was flying and I (the captain) was handling the radios. The female controller issued holding instructions very fast and I did not understand. I asked for her to repeat and she did. I copied, 'hold southwest of orw, left turns, V-16, 9000' altimeter 30.04.' some confusion resulted over efc time and finally she gave efc at XY44Z. I read back what I had copied but she did not reply. Approaching orw we started descent to 9000'. At 12500' she questioned our altitude. I replied passing 12500 for 9000'. She instructed us to maintain 13000' and turn to 180 degree heading away from holding pattern. Suggestion: the radio was congested and the controller was talking extremely fast--so fast as not to be understood and to have to repeat it. She evidently was so busy she did not listen to my readback, or even acknowledge it. If she had listened to my reply, she could have corrected my readback to maintain 12000'. Sometimes when activity is heavy everyone talks faster. However, when clrncs are so fast and longer than normal (ie, hold, direction of turn, arwy, altitude, efc, altimeter setting) then repeating of clearance takes longer and provides more radio congestion than if clearance was read slower. Also, readbacks should be monitored, especially when given long, non standard clearance. Also, there is a published holding pattern at orw. Her intentions were for us to hold as published. Less confusion would have resulted if she had told us to 'hold as published, 13000', efc at XX44Z.' supplemental information from acn 117506: there was no efc time given and the captain became confused when controller read back an efc time of XY44Z. After turning outbnd on the parallel entry into the hold, the captain told me to descend to 9000' to which I replied that I had not heard a clearance to 9000'. The captain said yes we in fact were cleared from 13000 to 9000'. This could have been avoided if I had insisted on confirming the altitude clearance when I had not heard the 9000' clearance. The controller did not correct the captain's readback of, 'cleared to 9000',' if in fact he did say that.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION. DIFFICULTY IN INTERP OF CLRNC.

Narrative: HAD DEPARTED BDL FOR BOS ON THE BDL 2 DEP TO ORW AT 13000' MSL. APCHING ORW WE WERE GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE NON STANDARD AND CONSEQUENTLY RESULTED IN OUR ERRONEOUS DSCNT FROM 13000'. THE F/O WAS FLYING AND I (THE CAPT) WAS HANDLING THE RADIOS. THE FEMALE CTLR ISSUED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS VERY FAST AND I DID NOT UNDERSTAND. I ASKED FOR HER TO REPEAT AND SHE DID. I COPIED, 'HOLD SW OF ORW, LEFT TURNS, V-16, 9000' ALTIMETER 30.04.' SOME CONFUSION RESULTED OVER EFC TIME AND FINALLY SHE GAVE EFC AT XY44Z. I READ BACK WHAT I HAD COPIED BUT SHE DID NOT REPLY. APCHING ORW WE STARTED DSCNT TO 9000'. AT 12500' SHE QUESTIONED OUR ALT. I REPLIED PASSING 12500 FOR 9000'. SHE INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN 13000' AND TURN TO 180 DEG HDG AWAY FROM HOLDING PATTERN. SUGGESTION: THE RADIO WAS CONGESTED AND THE CTLR WAS TALKING EXTREMELY FAST--SO FAST AS NOT TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND TO HAVE TO REPEAT IT. SHE EVIDENTLY WAS SO BUSY SHE DID NOT LISTEN TO MY READBACK, OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE IT. IF SHE HAD LISTENED TO MY REPLY, SHE COULD HAVE CORRECTED MY READBACK TO MAINTAIN 12000'. SOMETIMES WHEN ACTIVITY IS HEAVY EVERYONE TALKS FASTER. HOWEVER, WHEN CLRNCS ARE SO FAST AND LONGER THAN NORMAL (IE, HOLD, DIRECTION OF TURN, ARWY, ALT, EFC, ALTIMETER SETTING) THEN REPEATING OF CLRNC TAKES LONGER AND PROVIDES MORE RADIO CONGESTION THAN IF CLRNC WAS READ SLOWER. ALSO, READBACKS SHOULD BE MONITORED, ESPECIALLY WHEN GIVEN LONG, NON STANDARD CLRNC. ALSO, THERE IS A PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN AT ORW. HER INTENTIONS WERE FOR US TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED. LESS CONFUSION WOULD HAVE RESULTED IF SHE HAD TOLD US TO 'HOLD AS PUBLISHED, 13000', EFC AT XX44Z.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 117506: THERE WAS NO EFC TIME GIVEN AND THE CAPT BECAME CONFUSED WHEN CTLR READ BACK AN EFC TIME OF XY44Z. AFTER TURNING OUTBND ON THE PARALLEL ENTRY INTO THE HOLD, THE CAPT TOLD ME TO DSND TO 9000' TO WHICH I REPLIED THAT I HAD NOT HEARD A CLRNC TO 9000'. THE CAPT SAID YES WE IN FACT WERE CLRED FROM 13000 TO 9000'. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD INSISTED ON CONFIRMING THE ALT CLRNC WHEN I HAD NOT HEARD THE 9000' CLRNC. THE CTLR DID NOT CORRECT THE CAPT'S READBACK OF, 'CLRED TO 9000',' IF IN FACT HE DID SAY THAT.

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.