<< >> NASA ASRS Report 428270, February 1999

The flight crew of a DHC8 on an arrival into phx is issued a clearance to 10000 ft. Descending through 10300 ft, the controller says to maintain 11000 ft.

Attributes
ACN	428270
Time
Date	199902
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zab.artcc
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10300 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc tower : dsm.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : fossl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 3400 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	428270
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending on fossl arrival into phx. I heard center clear me to 10000 ft at 45 NM north of phx VOR. I reset this clearance back. (The usual crossing restr is tonto intersection at 11000 ft.) descending through 10300 ft, center called and said to maintain 11000 ft and asked our present altitude. He never said that we had busted an altitude, but we may have. Since it was an unusual altitude, I should have questioned it further -- even though I wasn't corrected on the readback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC OF A DHC8 ON AN ARR INTO PHX IS ISSUED A CLRNC TO 10000 FT. DSNDING THROUGH 10300 FT, THE CTLR SAYS TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT.

Narrative: DSNDING ON FOSSL ARR INTO PHX. I HEARD CTR CLR ME TO 10000 FT AT 45 NM N OF PHX VOR. I RESET THIS CLRNC BACK. (THE USUAL XING RESTR IS TONTO INTXN AT 11000 FT.) DSNDING THROUGH 10300 FT, CTR CALLED AND SAID TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT AND ASKED OUR PRESENT ALT. HE NEVER SAID THAT WE HAD BUSTED AN ALT, BUT WE MAY HAVE. SINCE IT WAS AN UNUSUAL ALT, I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED IT FURTHER -- EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T CORRECTED ON THE READBACK.

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.