Narrative:

On descent to jfk at 8000 ft, new york approach gave us a clearance to 3000 ft which the captain read back and then followed air carrier procedure by setting 3000 ft in the altitude window and he then pointed to it. I (first officer) acknowledged hearing the ATC controller's instruction by also pointing to 3000 ft and saying aloud '3000 ft' at which time I continued the descent to 3000 ft. At approximately 3100 ft and I believe after a frequency change where the altitude leaving and cleared to was read back, the act controller told us we were only cleared to 4000 ft to which we replied that we had been cleared to 3000 ft. We were then told to slow to 190 KTS and given runway 22R for landing, but no vector was given until later for the approach. No further discussion was made between the controller and our aircraft regarding the disagreement on the altitude, and we made a normal uneventful approach and landing. The controller was extremely busy, and I believe that he inadvertently gave us an altitude that he did not mean to. We complied with all of the controller's instructions. The captain and I followed company air carrier procedures and practices to the letter and I feel this was an ATC rather than a pilot error. Supplemental information from acn 582822: note: controllers were extremely busy and I believe that first controller cleared us to 3000 ft instead of 4000 ft by mistake. Preceding air carrier Y flight was at 4000 ft and slightly left of our flight path during phase in question and it is probable that first controller issued erroneous clearance or wrongly advised next controller of our cleared altitude. Air carrier SOP followed throughout entire approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767. N90 APCH CTLR CLRED THE ACFT TO 3000 FT, WHEN HE INTENDED TO CLR THE ACFT TO 4000 FT.

Narrative: ON DSCNT TO JFK AT 8000 FT, NEW YORK APCH GAVE US A CLRNC TO 3000 FT WHICH THE CAPT READ BACK AND THEN FOLLOWED ACR PROC BY SETTING 3000 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW AND HE THEN POINTED TO IT. I (FO) ACKNOWLEDGED HEARING THE ATC CTLR'S INSTRUCTION BY ALSO POINTING TO 3000 FT AND SAYING ALOUD '3000 FT' AT WHICH TIME I CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO 3000 FT. AT APPROX 3100 FT AND I BELIEVE AFTER A FREQ CHANGE WHERE THE ALT LEAVING AND CLRED TO WAS READ BACK, THE ACT CTLR TOLD US WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 4000 FT TO WHICH WE REPLIED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 3000 FT. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO SLOW TO 190 KTS AND GIVEN RWY 22R FOR LNDG, BUT NO VECTOR WAS GIVEN UNTIL LATER FOR THE APCH. NO FURTHER DISCUSSION WAS MADE BTWN THE CTLR AND OUR ACFT REGARDING THE DISAGREEMENT ON THE ALT, AND WE MADE A NORMAL UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG. THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, AND I BELIEVE THAT HE INADVERTENTLY GAVE US AN ALT THAT HE DID NOT MEAN TO. WE COMPLIED WITH ALL OF THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE CAPT AND I FOLLOWED COMPANY ACR PROCS AND PRACTICES TO THE LETTER AND I FEEL THIS WAS AN ATC RATHER THAN A PLT ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 582822: NOTE: CTLRS WERE EXTREMELY BUSY AND I BELIEVE THAT FIRST CTLR CLRED US TO 3000 FT INSTEAD OF 4000 FT BY MISTAKE. PRECEDING ACR Y FLT WAS AT 4000 FT AND SLIGHTLY L OF OUR FLT PATH DURING PHASE IN QUESTION AND IT IS PROBABLE THAT FIRST CTLR ISSUED ERRONEOUS CLRNC OR WRONGLY ADVISED NEXT CTLR OF OUR CLRED ALT. ACR SOP FOLLOWED THROUGHOUT ENTIRE APCH.

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.