Narrative:

I was flying and was the captain on an air carrier flight proceeding directly to scurry VOR to execute the scurry 4 arrival to dfw. Approximately 45 mi out of scurry, we received a clearance to continue the arrival to cross seago intersection at 8000 ft and 250 KTS. I was just returning to listen to the radio after making an arrival PA to the passenger and only heard the readback to ATC by the copilot. The readback was not corrected or changed by ATC. We were descending out of FL240 at the initial exchange with ATC. As I approached scurry at 11000 ft, I started to slow from the 320 KT assigned speed to 250 KTS for the descent below 10000 ft. It was at this time, at approximately 10250 ft that ATC asked us our altitude. Responding with our altitude and the fact that we were in a descent to 8000 ft as cleared, we were told to climb back to 11000 ft. Nothing more was said by ATC and shortly thereafter we were given a vector to intercept the arrival on the other side (north) of scurry. Although dfw was landing to the south and the arrival indicates to expect 11000 ft at seago, we had been given an assigned speed of 320 KTS prior to the descent clearance. This indicated to us that we were leading the arrival and could expect expedited approach. Although I expect either a wrong clearance by ATC or a clearance misunderstood was the cause of the situation, ATC correction on readback or my listening at low volume level to ATC while making PA's would have possibly prevented the problem. Radio congestion and multiple cockpit tasks in a high density area is always a problem. Fewer aircraft on a frequency, especially in the terminal area, could greatly decrease radio clearance readback problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG DSNDED BELOW THE PUBLISHED ALT ON THE SCURRY STAR.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AND WAS THE CAPT ON AN ACR FLT PROCEEDING DIRECTLY TO SCURRY VOR TO EXECUTE THE SCURRY 4 ARR TO DFW. APPROX 45 MI OUT OF SCURRY, WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO CONTINUE THE ARR TO CROSS SEAGO INTXN AT 8000 FT AND 250 KTS. I WAS JUST RETURNING TO LISTEN TO THE RADIO AFTER MAKING AN ARR PA TO THE PAX AND ONLY HEARD THE READBACK TO ATC BY THE COPLT. THE READBACK WAS NOT CORRECTED OR CHANGED BY ATC. WE WERE DSNDING OUT OF FL240 AT THE INITIAL EXCHANGE WITH ATC. AS I APCHED SCURRY AT 11000 FT, I STARTED TO SLOW FROM THE 320 KT ASSIGNED SPD TO 250 KTS FOR THE DSCNT BELOW 10000 FT. IT WAS AT THIS TIME, AT APPROX 10250 FT THAT ATC ASKED US OUR ALT. RESPONDING WITH OUR ALT AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE IN A DSCNT TO 8000 FT AS CLRED, WE WERE TOLD TO CLB BACK TO 11000 FT. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BY ATC AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE ARR ON THE OTHER SIDE (N) OF SCURRY. ALTHOUGH DFW WAS LNDG TO THE S AND THE ARR INDICATES TO EXPECT 11000 FT AT SEAGO, WE HAD BEEN GIVEN AN ASSIGNED SPD OF 320 KTS PRIOR TO THE DSCNT CLRNC. THIS INDICATED TO US THAT WE WERE LEADING THE ARR AND COULD EXPECT EXPEDITED APCH. ALTHOUGH I EXPECT EITHER A WRONG CLRNC BY ATC OR A CLRNC MISUNDERSTOOD WAS THE CAUSE OF THE SIT, ATC CORRECTION ON READBACK OR MY LISTENING AT LOW VOLUME LEVEL TO ATC WHILE MAKING PA'S WOULD HAVE POSSIBLY PREVENTED THE PROB. RADIO CONGESTION AND MULTIPLE COCKPIT TASKS IN A HIGH DENSITY AREA IS ALWAYS A PROB. FEWER ACFT ON A FREQ, ESPECIALLY IN THE TERMINAL AREA, COULD GREATLY DECREASE RADIO CLRNC READBACK PROBS.

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.