Crossing restr not met. Communication misunderstanding.

Attributes
ACN	303580
Time
Date	199505
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gep airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zmp
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	303580
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 7000
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Late on crossing exact at 10000 ft. Tried to call center but they were busy. When they answered they just gave us a frequency change to approach. Approach was busy and did not respond to our information about being high on the crossing. They just gave normal instructions to depart gep on a 130 degree heading. By the time we got a response to our high on crossing it was 2000 ft too late. Our problem was twofold. 1) I didn't understand the clearance and the first officer thought I did, by the time he realized I didn't we were going to miss. 2) frequency congestion and being busy caused center and approach to (evidently) respond with normal information first and address crossing later.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: XING RESTR NOT MET. COM MISUNDERSTANDING.

Narrative: LATE ON XING EXACT AT 10000 FT. TRIED TO CALL CTR BUT THEY WERE BUSY. WHEN THEY ANSWERED THEY JUST GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE TO APCH. APCH WAS BUSY AND DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR INFO ABOUT BEING HIGH ON THE XING. THEY JUST GAVE NORMAL INSTRUCTIONS TO DEPART GEP ON A 130 DEG HDG. BY THE TIME WE GOT A RESPONSE TO OUR HIGH ON XING IT WAS 2000 FT TOO LATE. OUR PROB WAS TWOFOLD. 1) I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE CLRNC AND THE FO THOUGHT I DID, BY THE TIME HE REALIZED I DIDN'T WE WERE GOING TO MISS. 2) FREQ CONGESTION AND BEING BUSY CAUSED CTR AND APCH TO (EVIDENTLY) RESPOND WITH NORMAL INFO FIRST AND ADDRESS XING LATER.

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.