Narrative:

On the qball arrival into stl, we were handed off to approach and given heading 050 degrees. On that heading a few moments, we were cleared down to 7000 ft and read back 7000 ft with no comment from the controller. I commented that I was having difficulty understanding the controller. A few moments later, approach control called out traffic at 11 O'clock position and 15 mi at 7000 ft heading sebound. We were given no indication that there would be a conflict, but we soon picked up an aircraft on TCASII. A few moments later, I saw the traffic about 3 mi away and we also got a TCASII alert. The captain commented that we were 1500 ft above the traffic and descending, so it might be a conflict. Captain began to shallow her descent at that time and a few seconds later we got an RA to reduce descent. The captain shallowed the descent more and had the traffic in sight. At about 7500 ft, captain leveled off and the aircraft passed above 1 mi in front of us and 500 ft below us. About that same time, the controller admonished us that we were supposed to be at 8000 ft. We responded that we had been cleared to 7000 ft and had read back 7000 ft. He responded that we had been cleared to 8000 ft. At that time he began to vector other aircraft and we queried him about which altitude he wanted us at. He cleared us to 8000 ft, and we continued to stl. I think the 2 major contributing factors are the difficulty I had understanding the particular controller, and that controllers are not held accountable to ensure proper readback. Fortunately, we had the conflicting traffic insight very early on and were able to avoid serious harm.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B733 CREW MISINTERPED CLRNC AND OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ON THE QBALL ARR INTO STL, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO APCH AND GIVEN HDG 050 DEGS. ON THAT HDG A FEW MOMENTS, WE WERE CLRED DOWN TO 7000 FT AND READ BACK 7000 FT WITH NO COMMENT FROM THE CTLR. I COMMENTED THAT I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, APCH CTL CALLED OUT TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK POS AND 15 MI AT 7000 FT HDG SEBOUND. WE WERE GIVEN NO INDICATION THAT THERE WOULD BE A CONFLICT, BUT WE SOON PICKED UP AN ACFT ON TCASII. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, I SAW THE TFC ABOUT 3 MI AWAY AND WE ALSO GOT A TCASII ALERT. THE CAPT COMMENTED THAT WE WERE 1500 FT ABOVE THE TFC AND DSNDING, SO IT MIGHT BE A CONFLICT. CAPT BEGAN TO SHALLOW HER DSCNT AT THAT TIME AND A FEW SECONDS LATER WE GOT AN RA TO REDUCE DSCNT. THE CAPT SHALLOWED THE DSCNT MORE AND HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. AT ABOUT 7500 FT, CAPT LEVELED OFF AND THE ACFT PASSED ABOVE 1 MI IN FRONT OF US AND 500 FT BELOW US. ABOUT THAT SAME TIME, THE CTLR ADMONISHED US THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 8000 FT. WE RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 7000 FT AND HAD READ BACK 7000 FT. HE RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 8000 FT. AT THAT TIME HE BEGAN TO VECTOR OTHER ACFT AND WE QUERIED HIM ABOUT WHICH ALT HE WANTED US AT. HE CLRED US TO 8000 FT, AND WE CONTINUED TO STL. I THINK THE 2 MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE THE DIFFICULTY I HAD UNDERSTANDING THE PARTICULAR CTLR, AND THAT CTLRS ARE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO ENSURE PROPER READBACK. FORTUNATELY, WE HAD THE CONFLICTING TFC INSIGHT VERY EARLY ON AND WERE ABLE TO AVOID SERIOUS HARM.

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.