Narrative:

On approach to las on the ksino 1 arrival, ATC gave us a phone number to call. We could not think of any deviations during the flight or day. I called las TRACON and spoke on a conference call. They prefaced the conversation by saying we were not in any trouble, but that they were trying to understand our actions and apparently those of others during arrs on the ksino 1 and linsy RNAV. On our arrival ZLA issued 'company number, descend via the ksino 2 arrival, maintain 10000 ft.' my interpretation and that of the first officer was to fly the lateral portion of the arrival to runway 25L and descend to and maintain 10000 ft which put us below luxor intersection at 12000 ft. Our conference call included asking me my personal opinion of what this clearance meant to me as well as several other hypothetical clrncs and scenarios in an effort to gather information and educate all parties involved. They asked if we are VNAV and I said no, we are not approved. The conversation was very good and we agreed we wanted everyone to be 'on the same sheet of paper.' I said that I would fill out an as soon as possible and call company ATC liaison. In my mind, the clearance should have been 'descend via the ksino 1, cross luxor at 12000 ft, maintain 10000 ft.' this would have been bullet proof with no confusion. In any event, I should have queried ZLA and confirmed, because his clearance left some confusion on our part and does not follow my normal 'flow.' we were busy, rerouted, and working with a new first officer who is doing a great job, but still needs guidance with duties, etc. I appreciated the tone of the phone call and hope we can improve the situation and make sure we do what they expect us to. Supplemental information from acn 556434: it appears that they have had numerous problems on the arrival and are trying to figure out how to solve similar problems in the future. I feel the clearance should have been, 'descend via KSINO1, cross luxor at 12000 ft, maintain 10000 ft.' I felt confident that at the time we were doing exactly what ATC wanted. Next time a clearance is similar to the one we received I will ask for clarification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CREW, ON DSCNT INTO LAS, MISINTERPED ATC'S CLRNC AND OVERSHOT A PUBLISHED ALT.

Narrative: ON APCH TO LAS ON THE KSINO 1 ARR, ATC GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. WE COULD NOT THINK OF ANY DEVS DURING THE FLT OR DAY. I CALLED LAS TRACON AND SPOKE ON A CONFERENCE CALL. THEY PREFACED THE CONVERSATION BY SAYING WE WERE NOT IN ANY TROUBLE, BUT THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND OUR ACTIONS AND APPARENTLY THOSE OF OTHERS DURING ARRS ON THE KSINO 1 AND LINSY RNAV. ON OUR ARR ZLA ISSUED 'COMPANY NUMBER, DSND VIA THE KSINO 2 ARR, MAINTAIN 10000 FT.' MY INTERP AND THAT OF THE FO WAS TO FLY THE LATERAL PORTION OF THE ARR TO RWY 25L AND DSND TO AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT WHICH PUT US BELOW LUXOR INTXN AT 12000 FT. OUR CONFERENCE CALL INCLUDED ASKING ME MY PERSONAL OPINION OF WHAT THIS CLRNC MEANT TO ME AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER HYPOTHETICAL CLRNCS AND SCENARIOS IN AN EFFORT TO GATHER INFO AND EDUCATE ALL PARTIES INVOLVED. THEY ASKED IF WE ARE VNAV AND I SAID NO, WE ARE NOT APPROVED. THE CONVERSATION WAS VERY GOOD AND WE AGREED WE WANTED EVERYONE TO BE 'ON THE SAME SHEET OF PAPER.' I SAID THAT I WOULD FILL OUT AN ASAP AND CALL COMPANY ATC LIAISON. IN MY MIND, THE CLRNC SHOULD HAVE BEEN 'DSND VIA THE KSINO 1, CROSS LUXOR AT 12000 FT, MAINTAIN 10000 FT.' THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN BULLET PROOF WITH NO CONFUSION. IN ANY EVENT, I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED ZLA AND CONFIRMED, BECAUSE HIS CLRNC LEFT SOME CONFUSION ON OUR PART AND DOES NOT FOLLOW MY NORMAL 'FLOW.' WE WERE BUSY, REROUTED, AND WORKING WITH A NEW FO WHO IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT STILL NEEDS GUIDANCE WITH DUTIES, ETC. I APPRECIATED THE TONE OF THE PHONE CALL AND HOPE WE CAN IMPROVE THE SIT AND MAKE SURE WE DO WHAT THEY EXPECT US TO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 556434: IT APPEARS THAT THEY HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBS ON THE ARR AND ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE SIMILAR PROBS IN THE FUTURE. I FEEL THE CLRNC SHOULD HAVE BEEN, 'DSND VIA KSINO1, CROSS LUXOR AT 12000 FT, MAINTAIN 10000 FT.' I FELT CONFIDENT THAT AT THE TIME WE WERE DOING EXACTLY WHAT ATC WANTED. NEXT TIME A CLRNC IS SIMILAR TO THE ONE WE RECEIVED I WILL ASK FOR CLARIFICATION.

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.