Narrative:

During our flight from hts-clt the center controling facility (atl-ind?) gave us a clearance to descend and maintain 10000 ft. The controller sounded new and this clearance was odd because we usually receive 11000 ft at this time. We read back descend and maintain 10000 ft and started down. The controller sounded increasingly agitated with other aircraft and was interrupted by what seemed to be a supervisor controller on several occasions. Immediately upon reaching 10000 ft, the assumed student controller, in a very distressed voice, gave us a climb and maintain 11000 ft and expedite clearance. We immediately expedited a climb to 11000 ft where no sooner did we hit 11000 ft when the assumed supervisor in a calm but somewhat frustrated voice reclred us back to 10000 ft. At no time did we receive a TCASII alert or notice that we did not have adequate separation between us and other air traffic. We believe the student made an error descending us to 10000 ft, made us expedite back to 11000 ft before his supervisor took control and reclred us to 10000 ft. Supplemental information from acn 596090: during the course of the en route cruise portion of the flight, a center instruction to chang altitude was received. My best recollection was that it was to descend from 15000 ft to 10000 ft. Upon reaching the assigned altitude, the controller issued a hurried instruction for an immediate climb to a higher altitude. He sounded flustered. We initiated the climb. Shortly after reaching the new altitude, a second controller came on the frequency and issued an instruction to return to the previous altitude. At the time we concluded that the first controller was in training and the second voice was his supervisor. However, there was no mention at the time of any loss of separation. We were not advised of any problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B190 CREW WAS GIVEN QUESTIONABLE ALT CLRNC BY A STUDENT ARTCC RADAR CTLR. THE INSTRUCTOR ARTCC RADAR CTLR HAD TO COUNTERMAND THE STUDENT'S CLRNC, BUT NOT BEFORE THE CREW COMPLIED WITH THE STUDENT'S CLRNC.

Narrative: DURING OUR FLT FROM HTS-CLT THE CTR CTLING FACILITY (ATL-IND?) GAVE US A CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT. THE CTLR SOUNDED NEW AND THIS CLRNC WAS ODD BECAUSE WE USUALLY RECEIVE 11000 FT AT THIS TIME. WE READ BACK DSND AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT AND STARTED DOWN. THE CTLR SOUNDED INCREASINGLY AGITATED WITH OTHER ACFT AND WAS INTERRUPTED BY WHAT SEEMED TO BE A SUPVR CTLR ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. IMMEDIATELY UPON REACHING 10000 FT, THE ASSUMED STUDENT CTLR, IN A VERY DISTRESSED VOICE, GAVE US A CLB AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT AND EXPEDITE CLRNC. WE IMMEDIATELY EXPEDITED A CLB TO 11000 FT WHERE NO SOONER DID WE HIT 11000 FT WHEN THE ASSUMED SUPVR IN A CALM BUT SOMEWHAT FRUSTRATED VOICE RECLRED US BACK TO 10000 FT. AT NO TIME DID WE RECEIVE A TCASII ALERT OR NOTICE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE SEPARATION BTWN US AND OTHER AIR TFC. WE BELIEVE THE STUDENT MADE AN ERROR DSNDING US TO 10000 FT, MADE US EXPEDITE BACK TO 11000 FT BEFORE HIS SUPVR TOOK CTL AND RECLRED US TO 10000 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 596090: DURING THE COURSE OF THE ENRTE CRUISE PORTION OF THE FLT, A CTR INSTRUCTION TO CHANG ALT WAS RECEIVED. MY BEST RECOLLECTION WAS THAT IT WAS TO DSND FROM 15000 FT TO 10000 FT. UPON REACHING THE ASSIGNED ALT, THE CTLR ISSUED A HURRIED INSTRUCTION FOR AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO A HIGHER ALT. HE SOUNDED FLUSTERED. WE INITIATED THE CLB. SHORTLY AFTER REACHING THE NEW ALT, A SECOND CTLR CAME ON THE FREQ AND ISSUED AN INSTRUCTION TO RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS ALT. AT THE TIME WE CONCLUDED THAT THE FIRST CTLR WAS IN TRAINING AND THE SECOND VOICE WAS HIS SUPVR. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO MENTION AT THE TIME OF ANY LOSS OF SEPARATION. WE WERE NOT ADVISED OF ANY PROB.

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.