Flight crew reported descent clearance to wrong altitude. Pilot deviation.

Attributes
ACN	134167
Time
Date	199001
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bis
State Reference	ND
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bis
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 12
ASRS Report	134167
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X, small transport, on an IFR flight plan from minot, nd to bismarck, nd told me on initial contact he was level at 15,000 with pilot's discretion to 7000. The flight progress strip on this aircraft showed 9000 as the coordinated descent altitude. I questioned the pilot, and he acknowledged his error, saying that minneapolis had given him 9000, not 7000. This is another in a series of incidents in which pilots flying IFR into or out of bismarck report climbing or descending to altitudes other than the one assigned.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW REPORTED DESCENT CLRNC TO WRONG ALT. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: ACR X, SMT, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM MINOT, ND TO BISMARCK, ND TOLD ME ON INITIAL CONTACT HE WAS LEVEL AT 15,000 WITH PLT'S DISCRETION TO 7000. THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP ON THIS ACFT SHOWED 9000 AS THE COORDINATED DSCNT ALT. I QUESTIONED THE PLT, AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED HIS ERROR, SAYING THAT MINNEAPOLIS HAD GIVEN HIM 9000, NOT 7000. THIS IS ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF INCIDENTS IN WHICH PLTS FLYING IFR INTO OR OUT OF BISMARCK REPORT CLIMBING OR DESCENDING TO ALTS OTHER THAN THE ONE ASSIGNED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.