Flight crew of a B737-200. Overshot descent crossing altitude due to a misunderstanding.

Attributes
ACN	364250
Time
Date	199703
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aml
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zdc
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 450 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	364250
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

From cmh to dca, the captain was given a clearance to cross 45 mi west of aml at 14000 ft. The captain was flying and talking to ATC. I, the first officer, was talking to the company to get gate information and to get the ATIS. When I checked back in with the captain, he told me the clearance he had received, and I could see where he had written the clearance on his scratch pad. ZDC had given him this clearance. When we were approaching 14000 ft, ZDC told us to contact dulles approach. We contacted dulles with the altitude we were descending out of, to the altitude of 14000 ft. When we were level at 14000 ft, dulles asked what our altitude was. I responded, '14000 ft.' he said we were supposed to be at 15000 ft and that he did not give us a descent clearance to 14000 ft.' I told him ZDC told us to cross 45 mi west of aml at 14000 ft. He said you were supposed to be at 15000 ft, but now just cross aml at 8000 ft and 210 KTS. We complied with this restr. Due to the fact I was off the ATC frequency when talking to the company, and receiving the ATIS at the same time the captain received the clearance, I don't know if the captain read it back correctly or not. I do know he wrote down 45 mi west of aml at 14000 ft, and that is what we did. Therefore, I do not know if there was a misunderstanding between ZDC and the captain or if there was a failure on ZDC's part to notify dulles of the 14000 ft clearance. From now on, if one pilot is off the frequency and there is a clearance change, that pilot should contact ATC and verify the clearance change -- even if you are in a congested frequency area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-200. OVERSHOT DSCNT XING ALT DUE TO A MISUNDERSTANDING.

Narrative: FROM CMH TO DCA, THE CAPT WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS 45 MI W OF AML AT 14000 FT. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND TALKING TO ATC. I, THE FO, WAS TALKING TO THE COMPANY TO GET GATE INFO AND TO GET THE ATIS. WHEN I CHKED BACK IN WITH THE CAPT, HE TOLD ME THE CLRNC HE HAD RECEIVED, AND I COULD SEE WHERE HE HAD WRITTEN THE CLRNC ON HIS SCRATCH PAD. ZDC HAD GIVEN HIM THIS CLRNC. WHEN WE WERE APCHING 14000 FT, ZDC TOLD US TO CONTACT DULLES APCH. WE CONTACTED DULLES WITH THE ALT WE WERE DSNDING OUT OF, TO THE ALT OF 14000 FT. WHEN WE WERE LEVEL AT 14000 FT, DULLES ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS. I RESPONDED, '14000 FT.' HE SAID WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 15000 FT AND THAT HE DID NOT GIVE US A DSCNT CLRNC TO 14000 FT.' I TOLD HIM ZDC TOLD US TO CROSS 45 MI W OF AML AT 14000 FT. HE SAID YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 15000 FT, BUT NOW JUST CROSS AML AT 8000 FT AND 210 KTS. WE COMPLIED WITH THIS RESTR. DUE TO THE FACT I WAS OFF THE ATC FREQ WHEN TALKING TO THE COMPANY, AND RECEIVING THE ATIS AT THE SAME TIME THE CAPT RECEIVED THE CLRNC, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CAPT READ IT BACK CORRECTLY OR NOT. I DO KNOW HE WROTE DOWN 45 MI W OF AML AT 14000 FT, AND THAT IS WHAT WE DID. THEREFORE, I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING BTWN ZDC AND THE CAPT OR IF THERE WAS A FAILURE ON ZDC'S PART TO NOTIFY DULLES OF THE 14000 FT CLRNC. FROM NOW ON, IF ONE PLT IS OFF THE FREQ AND THERE IS A CLRNC CHANGE, THAT PLT SHOULD CONTACT ATC AND VERIFY THE CLRNC CHANGE -- EVEN IF YOU ARE IN A CONGESTED FREQ AREA.

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.