Narrative:

I was the PNF on air carrier from mke to lax on jul/xx/96. We were cleared to cross the civet intersection at 14000 ft, but just before civet we received clearance to procedure direct to bremr intersection thinking we were to follow civet 1 arrival. We started a descent to cross bremr at 12000 ft. At 13300 ft MSL ZLA (133.4) told us to maintain 14000 ft. We immediately started climbing back to 14000 ft, but at about 13500 ft ATC told us to descend and maintain 12000 ft. No traffic was seen by eye or TCASII. The instruction given by ATC made the crew and I believe we were cleared for the civet arrival, but this was not the case. Better performance could have been achieved by more attention to radio communications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT DSNDED OFF OF ASSIGNED ALT DURING DSCNT BECAUSE THEY REASONED THAT THE LAST INSTRUCTIONS BY ATC WERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONNECTING WITH A STAR ARR!

Narrative: I WAS THE PNF ON ACR FROM MKE TO LAX ON JUL/XX/96. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS THE CIVET INTXN AT 14000 FT, BUT JUST BEFORE CIVET WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO PROC DIRECT TO BREMR INTXN THINKING WE WERE TO FOLLOW CIVET 1 ARR. WE STARTED A DSCNT TO CROSS BREMR AT 12000 FT. AT 13300 FT MSL ZLA (133.4) TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED CLBING BACK TO 14000 FT, BUT AT ABOUT 13500 FT ATC TOLD US TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 12000 FT. NO TFC WAS SEEN BY EYE OR TCASII. THE INSTRUCTION GIVEN BY ATC MADE THE CREW AND I BELIEVE WE WERE CLRED FOR THE CIVET ARR, BUT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. BETTER PERFORMANCE COULD HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED BY MORE ATTN TO RADIO COMS.

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.