Narrative:

At approximately XA00 local we were on the eno.rbv 1 arrival into ewr. We received a clearance to cross the holey intersection at 11000 ft. Just past holey we were handed off to new york approach. I was on the radio and my initial call was to check in at 11000 ft and get current ATIS. New york's reply was very garbled and I tried to read back his instructions but decided it was unreadable and asked him to say it all again. The next transmission from new york was clear enough for me to understand and read back a clearance to fly 360 degree heading after owbie intersection, expect runway 22L, then the altimeter setting was too scratchy to understand. I asked him to repeat the altimeter setting, which he did. A few mins later, we got a TCASII TA that an aircraft was at our approximately 7-8 O'clock position and 300 ft below. About the same time, new york called to ask us our altitude. I said 11000 ft. We then received an immediate descent clearance to 8000 ft, then inquiries into why we weren't at 8000 ft. ZDC had not given us 8000 ft and I believe the approach controller's scratchy radio problem (others were having trouble hearing him also) distraction him enough to miss our initial call at 11000 ft. P.south. TCASII works!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW INBOUND TO EWR SHOULD HAVE BEEN DSNDED TO 8000 FT BUT BECAUSE OF A GARBLED FREQ LEVELED AT 11000 FT.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 LCL WE WERE ON THE ENO.RBV 1 ARR INTO EWR. WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO CROSS THE HOLEY INTXN AT 11000 FT. JUST PAST HOLEY WE WERE HANDED OFF TO NEW YORK APCH. I WAS ON THE RADIO AND MY INITIAL CALL WAS TO CHK IN AT 11000 FT AND GET CURRENT ATIS. NEW YORK'S REPLY WAS VERY GARBLED AND I TRIED TO READ BACK HIS INSTRUCTIONS BUT DECIDED IT WAS UNREADABLE AND ASKED HIM TO SAY IT ALL AGAIN. THE NEXT XMISSION FROM NEW YORK WAS CLR ENOUGH FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND AND READ BACK A CLRNC TO FLY 360 DEG HDG AFTER OWBIE INTXN, EXPECT RWY 22L, THEN THE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS TOO SCRATCHY TO UNDERSTAND. I ASKED HIM TO REPEAT THE ALTIMETER SETTING, WHICH HE DID. A FEW MINS LATER, WE GOT A TCASII TA THAT AN ACFT WAS AT OUR APPROX 7-8 O'CLOCK POS AND 300 FT BELOW. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, NEW YORK CALLED TO ASK US OUR ALT. I SAID 11000 FT. WE THEN RECEIVED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT CLRNC TO 8000 FT, THEN INQUIRIES INTO WHY WE WEREN'T AT 8000 FT. ZDC HAD NOT GIVEN US 8000 FT AND I BELIEVE THE APCH CTLR'S SCRATCHY RADIO PROB (OTHERS WERE HAVING TROUBLE HEARING HIM ALSO) DISTR HIM ENOUGH TO MISS OUR INITIAL CALL AT 11000 FT. P.S. TCASII WORKS!

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.