An air carrier large transport may have descended without clearance to another aircraft's altitude i...

Attributes
ACN	243222
Time
Date	199306
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ptp
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : mdcs
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	243222
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	243491
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Air carrier flight X from sju to pop descending from 8000 ft to 6000 ft after reading back clearance to santo domingo center, all radio communications were in spanish other than the ones to us. After reporting level at 6000 ft with the field in sight, santo domingo center told us that we were only cleared to 8000 ft. At that time there was traffic climbing up to 7000 ft and santo domingo center told them to level off at 5000 ft. At that time we had sight of the traffic at 5000 ft. PNF was controling the radio and read back the clearance to descend to 6000 ft. After that readback, santo domingo center was speaking in spanish to other spanish speaking pilots. He might have revised the clearance, but it wasn't in english. Supplemental information from acn 243491: as the first officer and PNF on this segment, I handled the radios and reset the altitude window as per air carrier procedures. All clrncs are read back as received.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT MAY HAVE DSNDED WITHOUT CLRNC TO ANOTHER ACFT'S ALT IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ACR FLT X FROM SJU TO POP DSNDING FROM 8000 FT TO 6000 FT AFTER READING BACK CLRNC TO SANTO DOMINGO CTR, ALL RADIO COMS WERE IN SPANISH OTHER THAN THE ONES TO US. AFTER RPTING LEVEL AT 6000 FT WITH THE FIELD IN SIGHT, SANTO DOMINGO CTR TOLD US THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 8000 FT. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS TFC CLBING UP TO 7000 FT AND SANTO DOMINGO CTR TOLD THEM TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000 FT. AT THAT TIME WE HAD SIGHT OF THE TFC AT 5000 FT. PNF WAS CTLING THE RADIO AND READ BACK THE CLRNC TO DSND TO 6000 FT. AFTER THAT READBACK, SANTO DOMINGO CTR WAS SPEAKING IN SPANISH TO OTHER SPANISH SPEAKING PLTS. HE MIGHT HAVE REVISED THE CLRNC, BUT IT WASN'T IN ENGLISH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 243491: AS THE FO AND PNF ON THIS SEGMENT, I HANDLED THE RADIOS AND RESET THE ALT WINDOW AS PER ACR PROCS. ALL CLRNCS ARE READ BACK AS RECEIVED.

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.

An air carrier large transport may have descended without clearance to another aircraft's altitude in foreign airspace.