Narrative:

First flight of the day. E120, okc-dfw, cruise altitude 14000 ft MSL, 36 mi north of bowie VOR (ukw). I (the first officer) was flying. The captain was PNF and was working the radios. Earlier, about 80+ mi north of bowie, we were instructed to climb to 15000 ft. During the climb, new instructions were issued to climb to 15000 ft, or 14000 ft if we wanted. I heard to cross bowie at 14000 ft. I told the captain to request 14000 ft as a final. He did and we leveled off. Then captain told me to expect to cross 30 mi north of bowie at 11000 ft. However, he told me it sounded to me as though this is part of what he thought he heard in the ATC instructions. I never heard ATC give those instructions to expect any cross except 14000 ft at bowie. We do, however, almost always get instructions to cross bowie at 11000 ft. So when I heard 14000 ft at bowie, it stuck out and I thought 'good, we can climb to 14000 ft and not worry about remembering any crossing restrs.' in other words, I felt confident that what I heard and remembered is correct. I was very close, however, to verifying with ATC about the expect 11000 ft that captain brought up. But, since he was the pilot assigned to work the radios, and he said 'expect,' which should only become a real issue if the radios quit, (since 'expect' in itself does not constitute a clearance unless radio communications are lost) I decided to let it go and not stop on his toes. 36 mi north of bowie though, captain goes 'start down now.' when I hesitated, he put the autoplt on his side and started us down. I spoke up and said 'you said 'expect.'' by then, we were 400 ft below assigned altitude. He realized the problem and he told ATC we were instructed 11000 ft previously, 35 mi north of bowie. The controller quickly said 'negative' and captain kicked off the autoplt about 700 ft below altitude and began climbing. Apologizing, he told me 'sorry, your controls.' 30 seconds later, the next controller assigned 7000 ft and I started us down. On the ground, 2 things were resolved: I should have spoken up early on about the 'expect' altitude in question, and he should have asked ATC before rushing us down. I told him, in the future, I think it would be a better idea to hold the altitude and tell ATC that we might not be able to make an altitude if truly it was assigned, as he thought, and let ATC figure the better course of action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 CAPT STARTED DSNDING TO MEET XING RESTR WHICH WAS ONLY EXPECTED RATHER THAN CLRED.

Narrative: FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. E120, OKC-DFW, CRUISE ALT 14000 FT MSL, 36 MI N OF BOWIE VOR (UKW). I (THE FO) WAS FLYING. THE CAPT WAS PNF AND WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. EARLIER, ABOUT 80+ MI N OF BOWIE, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO 15000 FT. DURING THE CLB, NEW INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED TO CLB TO 15000 FT, OR 14000 FT IF WE WANTED. I HEARD TO CROSS BOWIE AT 14000 FT. I TOLD THE CAPT TO REQUEST 14000 FT AS A FINAL. HE DID AND WE LEVELED OFF. THEN CAPT TOLD ME TO EXPECT TO CROSS 30 MI N OF BOWIE AT 11000 FT. HOWEVER, HE TOLD ME IT SOUNDED TO ME AS THOUGH THIS IS PART OF WHAT HE THOUGHT HE HEARD IN THE ATC INSTRUCTIONS. I NEVER HEARD ATC GIVE THOSE INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPECT ANY CROSS EXCEPT 14000 FT AT BOWIE. WE DO, HOWEVER, ALMOST ALWAYS GET INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS BOWIE AT 11000 FT. SO WHEN I HEARD 14000 FT AT BOWIE, IT STUCK OUT AND I THOUGHT 'GOOD, WE CAN CLB TO 14000 FT AND NOT WORRY ABOUT REMEMBERING ANY XING RESTRS.' IN OTHER WORDS, I FELT CONFIDENT THAT WHAT I HEARD AND REMEMBERED IS CORRECT. I WAS VERY CLOSE, HOWEVER, TO VERIFYING WITH ATC ABOUT THE EXPECT 11000 FT THAT CAPT BROUGHT UP. BUT, SINCE HE WAS THE PLT ASSIGNED TO WORK THE RADIOS, AND HE SAID 'EXPECT,' WHICH SHOULD ONLY BECOME A REAL ISSUE IF THE RADIOS QUIT, (SINCE 'EXPECT' IN ITSELF DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A CLRNC UNLESS RADIO COMS ARE LOST) I DECIDED TO LET IT GO AND NOT STOP ON HIS TOES. 36 MI N OF BOWIE THOUGH, CAPT GOES 'START DOWN NOW.' WHEN I HESITATED, HE PUT THE AUTOPLT ON HIS SIDE AND STARTED US DOWN. I SPOKE UP AND SAID 'YOU SAID 'EXPECT.'' BY THEN, WE WERE 400 FT BELOW ASSIGNED ALT. HE REALIZED THE PROB AND HE TOLD ATC WE WERE INSTRUCTED 11000 FT PREVIOUSLY, 35 MI N OF BOWIE. THE CTLR QUICKLY SAID 'NEGATIVE' AND CAPT KICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT ABOUT 700 FT BELOW ALT AND BEGAN CLBING. APOLOGIZING, HE TOLD ME 'SORRY, YOUR CTLS.' 30 SECONDS LATER, THE NEXT CTLR ASSIGNED 7000 FT AND I STARTED US DOWN. ON THE GND, 2 THINGS WERE RESOLVED: I SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP EARLY ON ABOUT THE 'EXPECT' ALT IN QUESTION, AND HE SHOULD HAVE ASKED ATC BEFORE RUSHING US DOWN. I TOLD HIM, IN THE FUTURE, I THINK IT WOULD BE A BETTER IDEA TO HOLD THE ALT AND TELL ATC THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE AN ALT IF TRULY IT WAS ASSIGNED, AS HE THOUGHT, AND LET ATC FIGURE THE BETTER COURSE OF ACTION.

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.