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DH8 flight crew was queried on new ATC frequency about their assigned altitude. The last controller was very busy and had given the DH8 flight crew a visual separation clearance and then the lower altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 327220 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199602 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ard |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 tower : cle |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4500 |
| ASRS Report | 327220 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
After handoff to ny and after check-in with altitude and clearance to 6000 ft, ATC inquired of our altitude. I said '6500 ft descending to 6000 ft.' ATC replied who gave us that and thought 7000 ft was our limit. I told him I checked in descending to 6000 ft given by last controller. He seemed confused but replied 'no problem maintain 6000 ft.' now we were given the descent to 6000 ft after the last controller pointed out traffic above us, asked if we could maintain visual on traffic and gave the biz jet a descent through our altitude (present), and then gave us the descent to 6000 ft. Controller was very busy -- just mins before, an air carrier pilot replied to a rapidly spoken clearance, 'you're getting excited slow down and repeat clearance for air carrier X.' this is (I hope) a non-event -- just another example of overload in the northeast at a prime time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DH8 FLC WAS QUERIED ON NEW ATC FREQ ABOUT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT. THE LAST CTLR WAS VERY BUSY AND HAD GIVEN THE DH8 FLC A VISUAL SEPARATION CLRNC AND THEN THE LOWER ALT.
Narrative: AFTER HDOF TO NY AND AFTER CHK-IN WITH ALT AND CLRNC TO 6000 FT, ATC INQUIRED OF OUR ALT. I SAID '6500 FT DSNDING TO 6000 FT.' ATC REPLIED WHO GAVE US THAT AND THOUGHT 7000 FT WAS OUR LIMIT. I TOLD HIM I CHKED IN DSNDING TO 6000 FT GIVEN BY LAST CTLR. HE SEEMED CONFUSED BUT REPLIED 'NO PROB MAINTAIN 6000 FT.' NOW WE WERE GIVEN THE DSCNT TO 6000 FT AFTER THE LAST CTLR POINTED OUT TFC ABOVE US, ASKED IF WE COULD MAINTAIN VISUAL ON TFC AND GAVE THE BIZ JET A DSCNT THROUGH OUR ALT (PRESENT), AND THEN GAVE US THE DSCNT TO 6000 FT. CTLR WAS VERY BUSY -- JUST MINS BEFORE, AN ACR PLT REPLIED TO A RAPIDLY SPOKEN CLRNC, 'YOU'RE GETTING EXCITED SLOW DOWN AND REPEAT CLRNC FOR ACR X.' THIS IS (I HOPE) A NON-EVENT -- JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF OVERLOAD IN THE NE AT A PRIME TIME.
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.