Narrative:

B737 flight from hou to bna cruising at FL370 LNAV to ghm and ghm arrival to bna. At 100 NM southwest of ghm, the captain (PNF) was getting the bna ATIS. I, copilot, was flying when ZME issued the descent clearance 'descend now to FL330, expect to cross 45 NM southwest ghm at FL240.' I copied down the crossing restr, set FL240 in the flight director and acknowledged center with 'descend now to FL330 and cross 45 mi southwest ghm at FL240.' thus, I missed the controller's 'expect' instruction and the controller didn't catch the absence of 'expect' in my readback. Passing through FL320 on profile descent to make 45 mi southwest ghm at FL240 crossing restr, ZME recognized a traffic conflict and instructed us to climb back to FL330 and turn 20 degrees to the left for traffic. Simultaneously, the captain and I both picked up the TCASII traffic of concern and followed the controller's climb and turn instructions. I estimate our miss to be 800-1000 ft vertically and 3-4 mi horizontally. Note: this area southwest of ghm has been an area of concern by several of our air crews going into bna.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW MISSED 'EXPECT' PORTION OF DSCNT CLRNC. ARTCC DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR ON READBACK. THE RESULT WAS A DSCNT BELOW THE CLRED ALT AND A PRECAUTIONARY TURN MANDATED BY THE CTLR.

Narrative: B737 FLT FROM HOU TO BNA CRUISING AT FL370 LNAV TO GHM AND GHM ARR TO BNA. AT 100 NM SW OF GHM, THE CAPT (PNF) WAS GETTING THE BNA ATIS. I, COPLT, WAS FLYING WHEN ZME ISSUED THE DSCNT CLRNC 'DSND NOW TO FL330, EXPECT TO CROSS 45 NM SW GHM AT FL240.' I COPIED DOWN THE XING RESTR, SET FL240 IN THE FLT DIRECTOR AND ACKNOWLEDGED CTR WITH 'DSND NOW TO FL330 AND CROSS 45 MI SW GHM AT FL240.' THUS, I MISSED THE CTLR'S 'EXPECT' INSTRUCTION AND THE CTLR DIDN'T CATCH THE ABSENCE OF 'EXPECT' IN MY READBACK. PASSING THROUGH FL320 ON PROFILE DSCNT TO MAKE 45 MI SW GHM AT FL240 XING RESTR, ZME RECOGNIZED A TFC CONFLICT AND INSTRUCTED US TO CLB BACK TO FL330 AND TURN 20 DEGS TO THE L FOR TFC. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE CAPT AND I BOTH PICKED UP THE TCASII TFC OF CONCERN AND FOLLOWED THE CTLR'S CLB AND TURN INSTRUCTIONS. I ESTIMATE OUR MISS TO BE 800-1000 FT VERTLY AND 3-4 MI HORIZLY. NOTE: THIS AREA SW OF GHM HAS BEEN AN AREA OF CONCERN BY SEVERAL OF OUR AIR CREWS GOING INTO BNA.

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.