<< >> NASA ASRS Report 391350, January 1998

An air carrier B727 flight crew reports receiving a descent clearance, in foreign airspace, to 11000 ft. Later, they question the altitude and are told that they were assigned 14000 ft.

Attributes
ACN	391350
Time
Date	199801
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pca
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mmex
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 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 : atp
ASRS Report	391350
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	391351
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation other

Narrative:

We were sbound on J21, in radar contact, approaching positive control area at FL280. Mexico city center cleared us to descend to cross positive control area at 11000 ft. We read back departing FL280 for 11000 ft. All crew members heard the clearance as 11000 ft. It was a clear night and the terrain near positive control area was visible ahead and below us in the descent. The tepas 1 arrival is normally given and it states to expect positive control area at 14000 ft. Approaching 12000 ft I called mexico city center and asked them to confirm positive control area at 11000 ft. Center came back with negative, clearance was to cross positive control area at 14000 ft. Climb now to 13000 ft and cleared the tepas 1 arrival. We climbed back to 13000 ft and proceeded with the arrival. We believe mexico city center gave us the wrong altitude. The altitude did not seem that unusual since we often get cleared in that area to proceed direct smo to cross smo at 11000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 FLC RPTS RECEIVING A DSCNT CLRNC, IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE, TO 11000 FT. LATER, THEY QUESTION THE ALT AND ARE TOLD THAT THEY WERE ASSIGNED 14000 FT.

Narrative: WE WERE SBOUND ON J21, IN RADAR CONTACT, APCHING PCA AT FL280. MEXICO CITY CTR CLRED US TO DSND TO CROSS PCA AT 11000 FT. WE READ BACK DEPARTING FL280 FOR 11000 FT. ALL CREW MEMBERS HEARD THE CLRNC AS 11000 FT. IT WAS A CLR NIGHT AND THE TERRAIN NEAR PCA WAS VISIBLE AHEAD AND BELOW US IN THE DSCNT. THE TEPAS 1 ARR IS NORMALLY GIVEN AND IT STATES TO EXPECT PCA AT 14000 FT. APCHING 12000 FT I CALLED MEXICO CITY CTR AND ASKED THEM TO CONFIRM PCA AT 11000 FT. CTR CAME BACK WITH NEGATIVE, CLRNC WAS TO CROSS PCA AT 14000 FT. CLB NOW TO 13000 FT AND CLRED THE TEPAS 1 ARR. WE CLBED BACK TO 13000 FT AND PROCEEDED WITH THE ARR. WE BELIEVE MEXICO CITY CTR GAVE US THE WRONG ALT. THE ALT DID NOT SEEM THAT UNUSUAL SINCE WE OFTEN GET CLRED IN THAT AREA TO PROCEED DIRECT SMO TO CROSS SMO AT 11000 FT.

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.