Late altitude change by ATC.

Attributes
ACN	296164
Time
Date	199502
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12400 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den tracon : lit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival : profile descent arrival other enroute airway : den
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 400 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	296164
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Contacted den approach '17500 ft descending to 14000 ft on the profile descent.' approach cleared aircraft to descend to 11000 ft. Passing 12500 ft approach amended altitude 'maintain 13000 ft when told we were 12400 ft ATC responded 'climb immediately to 13000 ft, slow to 210 KTS. Returned to 13000 ft. No conflict noticed, no TCASII alert. Frequency was 120.8. Next controller cleared us to maintain 12000 ft. Suspect wrong altitude (11000 ft) assigned by approach on initial contact.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LATE ALT CHANGE BY ATC.

Narrative: CONTACTED DEN APCH '17500 FT DSNDING TO 14000 FT ON THE PROFILE DSCNT.' APCH CLRED ACFT TO DSND TO 11000 FT. PASSING 12500 FT APCH AMENDED ALT 'MAINTAIN 13000 FT WHEN TOLD WE WERE 12400 FT ATC RESPONDED 'CLB IMMEDIATELY TO 13000 FT, SLOW TO 210 KTS. RETURNED TO 13000 FT. NO CONFLICT NOTICED, NO TCASII ALERT. FREQ WAS 120.8. NEXT CTLR CLRED US TO MAINTAIN 12000 FT. SUSPECT WRONG ALT (11000 FT) ASSIGNED BY APCH ON INITIAL CONTACT.

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.