Phx A319 arrival misses altitude restr, incorrect ATC phraseology.

Attributes
ACN	571790
Time
Date	200301
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : sunss
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc tracon : p50.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	arrival star : sunns 4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	571790
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to original clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

ZAB cleared my aircraft to cross sunss at 250 KTS, 11000 ft MSL. Handed off to phx approach 15-20 NM prior to sunss. Passenger approach clearing aircraft to descend/maintain 8000 ft MSL. While crossing sunss at approximately 12000 ft MSL, controller asks if I was given a prior restr at sunss. I said 'yes, 250 KTS/11000 ft MSL, but you cleared me to 8000 ft MSL.' another aircraft verified that these were my instructions. If the controller wanted me to still cross sunss at 11000 ft MSL, he should have told me to 'descend via the sunss 4 arrival, descend/maintain 8000 ft.' a clearance to descend without a 'via' or other restr eliminates any previous descend instructions per aim.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHX A319 ARR MISSES ALT RESTR, INCORRECT ATC PHRASEOLOGY.

Narrative: ZAB CLRED MY ACFT TO CROSS SUNSS AT 250 KTS, 11000 FT MSL. HANDED OFF TO PHX APCH 15-20 NM PRIOR TO SUNSS. PAX APCH CLRING ACFT TO DSND/MAINTAIN 8000 FT MSL. WHILE XING SUNSS AT APPROX 12000 FT MSL, CTLR ASKS IF I WAS GIVEN A PRIOR RESTR AT SUNSS. I SAID 'YES, 250 KTS/11000 FT MSL, BUT YOU CLRED ME TO 8000 FT MSL.' ANOTHER ACFT VERIFIED THAT THESE WERE MY INSTRUCTIONS. IF THE CTLR WANTED ME TO STILL CROSS SUNSS AT 11000 FT MSL, HE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME TO 'DSND VIA THE SUNSS 4 ARR, DSND/MAINTAIN 8000 FT.' A CLRNC TO DSND WITHOUT A 'VIA' OR OTHER RESTR ELIMINATES ANY PREVIOUS DSND INSTRUCTIONS PER AIM.

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.