Narrative:

I have always thought that most altitude deviations were the result of not understanding a clearance; i.e., poor radio discipline or too much pride to ask for a repeat. After all, who is going to intentionally bust an altitude??? Well, I have flown this STAR many, many times (in fact, I literally live next door to the acton VOR) and know this arrival very well. So here goes the scenario: copilot mad at the world because of no contract yet. Very poor radio technique and no help to me during this long duty period (11 hours). Withdrawn and snide all day. Approach control cleared us to cross hulen at 10000'. My leg, copilot reads back clearance and does not set and arm the altitude, so I do it myself. (My takeoff briefing was for him to set and arm all altitudes.) F/east was listening to ATIS (not necessary)--it had not changed and today was one of those perfect autumn days. A few mi past hulen, approach control asks our altitude. When he hears that we are at 10000', he instructs us to climb to 11000'. I am not the type person who hears what he wants to hear, nor am I certain that approach control did not give us 10000'. My copilot said he was not sure of the altitude. My F/east said he was not listening. (I counseled with them both after the flight.) I should have questioned the altitude (if indeed it was 10000') since this arrival is normally flown at 11000'. However, hulen intersection is relatively new and if landing to the north, approach control will clear you to 9000' (landing to the south today). This report would probably not have been necessary had my crew followed good CRM, especially during this approach segment. It will not happen again to any of my crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COCKPIT COORD IS DEGRADED BY SURLY ATTITUDE DISPLAYED BY NON CONFORMING FO. ALT DEVIATION ALT OVERSHOT. POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

Narrative: I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT MOST ALT DEVIATIONS WERE THE RESULT OF NOT UNDERSTANDING A CLRNC; I.E., POOR RADIO DISCIPLINE OR TOO MUCH PRIDE TO ASK FOR A REPEAT. AFTER ALL, WHO IS GOING TO INTENTIONALLY BUST AN ALT??? WELL, I HAVE FLOWN THIS STAR MANY, MANY TIMES (IN FACT, I LITERALLY LIVE NEXT DOOR TO THE ACTON VOR) AND KNOW THIS ARR VERY WELL. SO HERE GOES THE SCENARIO: COPLT MAD AT THE WORLD BECAUSE OF NO CONTRACT YET. VERY POOR RADIO TECHNIQUE AND NO HELP TO ME DURING THIS LONG DUTY PERIOD (11 HRS). WITHDRAWN AND SNIDE ALL DAY. APCH CTL CLRED US TO CROSS HULEN AT 10000'. MY LEG, COPLT READS BACK CLRNC AND DOES NOT SET AND ARM THE ALT, SO I DO IT MYSELF. (MY TKOF BRIEFING WAS FOR HIM TO SET AND ARM ALL ALTS.) F/E WAS LISTENING TO ATIS (NOT NECESSARY)--IT HAD NOT CHANGED AND TODAY WAS ONE OF THOSE PERFECT AUTUMN DAYS. A FEW MI PAST HULEN, APCH CTL ASKS OUR ALT. WHEN HE HEARS THAT WE ARE AT 10000', HE INSTRUCTS US TO CLB TO 11000'. I AM NOT THE TYPE PERSON WHO HEARS WHAT HE WANTS TO HEAR, NOR AM I CERTAIN THAT APCH CTL DID NOT GIVE US 10000'. MY COPLT SAID HE WAS NOT SURE OF THE ALT. MY F/E SAID HE WAS NOT LISTENING. (I COUNSELED WITH THEM BOTH AFTER THE FLT.) I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE ALT (IF INDEED IT WAS 10000') SINCE THIS ARR IS NORMALLY FLOWN AT 11000'. HOWEVER, HULEN INTXN IS RELATIVELY NEW AND IF LNDG TO THE N, APCH CTL WILL CLR YOU TO 9000' (LNDG TO THE S TODAY). THIS RPT WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE BEEN NECESSARY HAD MY CREW FOLLOWED GOOD CRM, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS APCH SEGMENT. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN TO ANY OF MY CREW.

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.