Altitude assignment confusion.

Attributes
ACN	94659
Time
Date	198809
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bdr
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 17300
ASRS Report	94659
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On letdown into pvd ZBW cleared us to descend to 7000 ft. Reclred us to maintain 8000 ft. Copilot was checking airport WX and reported ceiling as 4000 ft. Pilot thought he was cleared to 4000 ft. At 6000 ft center asked our altitude. We reported 6000 ft. Controller said to maintain 6000 ft, which we did. At this time we were not sure if we had been cleared to 4000 ft, but suspect we may have been only cleared to 8000 ft. To our knowledge there was no traffic conflict.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT ASSIGNMENT CONFUSION.

Narrative: ON LETDOWN INTO PVD ZBW CLRED US TO DSND TO 7000 FT. RECLRED US TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT. COPLT WAS CHKING ARPT WX AND RPTED CEILING AS 4000 FT. PLT THOUGHT HE WAS CLRED TO 4000 FT. AT 6000 FT CENTER ASKED OUR ALT. WE RPTED 6000 FT. CTLR SAID TO MAINTAIN 6000 FT, WHICH WE DID. AT THIS TIME WE WERE NOT SURE IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 4000 FT, BUT SUSPECT WE MAY HAVE BEEN ONLY CLRED TO 8000 FT. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.