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A DC9-50 flight crew wonders if they had experienced an altitude deviation, subject to violation, during climb to FL280 with an amendment back down to FL260 with ZJX, fl.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 478830 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200007 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mco.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 50 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 145 flight time total : 10100 flight time type : 729 |
| ASRS Report | 478830 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Airspace Structure |
Narrative:
Climbing out of mco we were cleared to FL280. Both first officer and captain acknowledged altitude cleared to, and FL280 was set in altitude alerter. There was a lot of radio traffic and the controller was working arrs and departures with numerous xmissions being stepped on and a stuck microphone on frequency for approximately 1 min. As we climbed through FL268 the controller said 'maintain FL260' and then 'confirm descending to FL260.' we immediately began a descent to FL260. It really was never made clear whether the controller thought we were cleared to FL260 or whether the clearance to FL280 had been amended and we didn't hear it due to frequency congestion or whether the controller was amending our clearance and wanted us to descend to FL260. There were numerous aircraft trying to divert around some WX ahead as well as arrs and departures. The controllers were really saturated.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC9-50 FLC WONDERS IF THEY HAD EXPERIENCED AN ALTDEV, SUBJECT TO VIOLATION, DURING CLB TO FL280 WITH AN AMENDMENT BACK DOWN TO FL260 WITH ZJX, FL.
Narrative: CLBING OUT OF MCO WE WERE CLRED TO FL280. BOTH FO AND CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED ALT CLRED TO, AND FL280 WAS SET IN ALT ALERTER. THERE WAS A LOT OF RADIO TFC AND THE CTLR WAS WORKING ARRS AND DEPS WITH NUMEROUS XMISSIONS BEING STEPPED ON AND A STUCK MIKE ON FREQ FOR APPROX 1 MIN. AS WE CLBED THROUGH FL268 THE CTLR SAID 'MAINTAIN FL260' AND THEN 'CONFIRM DSNDING TO FL260.' WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A DSCNT TO FL260. IT REALLY WAS NEVER MADE CLR WHETHER THE CTLR THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO FL260 OR WHETHER THE CLRNC TO FL280 HAD BEEN AMENDED AND WE DIDN'T HEAR IT DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION OR WHETHER THE CTLR WAS AMENDING OUR CLRNC AND WANTED US TO DSND TO FL260. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT TRYING TO DIVERT AROUND SOME WX AHEAD AS WELL AS ARRS AND DEPS. THE CTLRS WERE REALLY SATURATED.
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.