<< >> NASA ASRS Report 395939, March 1998

B757 aircraft on arrival was cleared to what flight crew heard as 15000 ft, but at 15500 ft controller intervened and said the clearance was to FL190.

Attributes
ACN	395939
Time
Date	199803
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eno
State Reference	DE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15500 msl bound upper : 19000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	395939
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	395940
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Location: 15 mi northeast of eno VOR. During our arrival to ewr via the RBV1, the controller gave us a descent to be at 15000 ft, 15 mi northeast of eno. I read back the clearance as 15 mi and I confirmed 15 mi northeast of eno. Later, as we were leveling at 15000 ft, the controller asked what altitude we were at. I responded 15500 ft for 15000 ft. He informed us that we should be at 19000 ft. Both the captain and I were confused and concerned that we both misunderstood the clearance. The controller said that there must have been some confusion about the clearance. I apologized for any misunderstanding on my part. The controller did not indicate any conflicts or any required action on our parts to resolve the issue. I assume that it was a mutual misunderstanding about the clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 ACFT ON ARR WAS CLRED TO WHAT FLC HEARD AS 15000 FT, BUT AT 15500 FT CTLR INTERVENED AND SAID THE CLRNC WAS TO FL190.

Narrative: LOCATION: 15 MI NE OF ENO VOR. DURING OUR ARR TO EWR VIA THE RBV1, THE CTLR GAVE US A DSCNT TO BE AT 15000 FT, 15 MI NE OF ENO. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AS 15 MI AND I CONFIRMED 15 MI NE OF ENO. LATER, AS WE WERE LEVELING AT 15000 FT, THE CTLR ASKED WHAT ALT WE WERE AT. I RESPONDED 15500 FT FOR 15000 FT. HE INFORMED US THAT WE SHOULD BE AT 19000 FT. BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE CONFUSED AND CONCERNED THAT WE BOTH MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC. THE CTLR SAID THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE CLRNC. I APOLOGIZED FOR ANY MISUNDERSTANDING ON MY PART. THE CTLR DID NOT INDICATE ANY CONFLICTS OR ANY REQUIRED ACTION ON OUR PARTS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I ASSUME THAT IT WAS A MUTUAL MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE CLRNC.

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.