LR24 crew had a potential altitude mixup with the controller.

Attributes
ACN	418740
Time
Date	199810
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mia airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Learjet 24
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	418740
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	418736
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Myself and the copilot understood a descent clearance from 6000 ft to 3000 ft. The copilot read back the descent to 3000 ft, which was entered in the altitude alerter. Descending through 3500 ft ATC cleared us to 3000 ft and made it sound like we were originally cleared to 4000 ft. No corrective actions or events occurred as a result. Better communication between ATC and the aircraft would have helped.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LR24 CREW HAD A POTENTIAL ALT MIXUP WITH THE CTLR.

Narrative: MYSELF AND THE COPLT UNDERSTOOD A DSCNT CLRNC FROM 6000 FT TO 3000 FT. THE COPLT READ BACK THE DSCNT TO 3000 FT, WHICH WAS ENTERED IN THE ALT ALERTER. DSNDING THROUGH 3500 FT ATC CLRED US TO 3000 FT AND MADE IT SOUND LIKE WE WERE ORIGINALLY CLRED TO 4000 FT. NO CORRECTIVE ACTIONS OR EVENTS OCCURRED AS A RESULT. BETTER COM BTWN ATC AND THE ACFT WOULD HAVE HELPED.

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.