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The reporter had to request confirmation of an assigned altitude 4 times with an appropriate delay between requests before he could extract a confirmation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 334920 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199605 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hpw |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 334920 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
We were getting vectors from ZDC on 134.02. I thought the controller said 'turn left to 330 degrees, descend to FL290.' the first officer read back 'turn left to 330 degrees, descend to FL280.' I asked the first officer to maintain FL290. (The controller did not correct the first officer's readback.) the first officer asked for a confirmation of the altitude, but the controller did not answer his question. He was fairly busy with other aircraft, so several seconds passed before the first officer asked a second time for a confirmation of the altitude. The controller still did not answer. Several aircraft were checking in, the controller gave several instructions, and finally the first officer was able to again ask a third time for a confirmation of the altitude. The controller did not answer, but gave more instructions to other aircraft. The first officer was sure the controller said 'FL280,' and I was considering allowing him to descend. (The first officer had read back 'FL280' also and received no correction from the controller). Finally, after 1-2 mins of confusion, the first officer asked a fourth time for altitude confirmation, and the controller said 'maintain FL290.' now, he could have changed his mind, when he saw that we were still at FL290, but I doubt it. This was an example of overwork/carelessness that I see too often in controllers: they don't listen to readbacks half the time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE RPTR HAD TO REQUEST CONFIRMATION OF AN ASSIGNED ALT 4 TIMES WITH AN APPROPRIATE DELAY BTWN REQUESTS BEFORE HE COULD EXTRACT A CONFIRMATION.
Narrative: WE WERE GETTING VECTORS FROM ZDC ON 134.02. I THOUGHT THE CTLR SAID 'TURN L TO 330 DEGS, DSND TO FL290.' THE FO READ BACK 'TURN L TO 330 DEGS, DSND TO FL280.' I ASKED THE FO TO MAINTAIN FL290. (THE CTLR DID NOT CORRECT THE FO'S READBACK.) THE FO ASKED FOR A CONFIRMATION OF THE ALT, BUT THE CTLR DID NOT ANSWER HIS QUESTION. HE WAS FAIRLY BUSY WITH OTHER ACFT, SO SEVERAL SECONDS PASSED BEFORE THE FO ASKED A SECOND TIME FOR A CONFIRMATION OF THE ALT. THE CTLR STILL DID NOT ANSWER. SEVERAL ACFT WERE CHKING IN, THE CTLR GAVE SEVERAL INSTRUCTIONS, AND FINALLY THE FO WAS ABLE TO AGAIN ASK A THIRD TIME FOR A CONFIRMATION OF THE ALT. THE CTLR DID NOT ANSWER, BUT GAVE MORE INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT. THE FO WAS SURE THE CTLR SAID 'FL280,' AND I WAS CONSIDERING ALLOWING HIM TO DSND. (THE FO HAD READ BACK 'FL280' ALSO AND RECEIVED NO CORRECTION FROM THE CTLR). FINALLY, AFTER 1-2 MINS OF CONFUSION, THE FO ASKED A FOURTH TIME FOR ALT CONFIRMATION, AND THE CTLR SAID 'MAINTAIN FL290.' NOW, HE COULD HAVE CHANGED HIS MIND, WHEN HE SAW THAT WE WERE STILL AT FL290, BUT I DOUBT IT. THIS WAS AN EXAMPLE OF OVERWORK/CARELESSNESS THAT I SEE TOO OFTEN IN CTLRS: THEY DON'T LISTEN TO READBACKS HALF THE 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.