Narrative:

Given clearance to cross hnk at FL190 (we were at FL230). For whatever reason we were distracted and forgot to start down. About 2 mi from hnk, ZBW asked us if we had started down yet. I replied, 'we're starting down now--sorry.' ATC said to make it to FL190 by 15 mi on the other side of hnk. I told him we could do that. The captain, who wasn't thrilled with the fact that I admitted the mistake over the radio, was rapidly descending the aircraft through FL200 which I called '1000' to level off.' his reply was that he thought we were cleared to 15000'. I told him, no, we were cleared to cross 15 DME at FL190. He insisted that we were cleared to 15000' and proceeded to descend through FL190. I told him that if he was correct, no sweat, but if he was wrong, he just bought himself an altitude bust. That finally sunk in his thick skull as he leveled off at 18500' while we awaited the frequency to clear. When we were able to confirm our assigned altitude, it was indeed FL190. It doesn't require a whole lot of common sense to figure out that if there is a disagreement in the cockpit over an assigned clearance, take the safest course of action--not 'what the captain heard.' I was a captain for 4 yrs before being demoted through 'mergia-mania' and that's the way I ran my cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG UNDERSHOT ALT CROSSING RESTRICTION AND THEN OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT ON DESCENT.

Narrative: GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS HNK AT FL190 (WE WERE AT FL230). FOR WHATEVER REASON WE WERE DISTRACTED AND FORGOT TO START DOWN. ABOUT 2 MI FROM HNK, ZBW ASKED US IF WE HAD STARTED DOWN YET. I REPLIED, 'WE'RE STARTING DOWN NOW--SORRY.' ATC SAID TO MAKE IT TO FL190 BY 15 MI ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HNK. I TOLD HIM WE COULD DO THAT. THE CAPT, WHO WASN'T THRILLED WITH THE FACT THAT I ADMITTED THE MISTAKE OVER THE RADIO, WAS RAPIDLY DSNDING THE ACFT THROUGH FL200 WHICH I CALLED '1000' TO LEVEL OFF.' HIS REPLY WAS THAT HE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO 15000'. I TOLD HIM, NO, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS 15 DME AT FL190. HE INSISTED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 15000' AND PROCEEDED TO DSND THROUGH FL190. I TOLD HIM THAT IF HE WAS CORRECT, NO SWEAT, BUT IF HE WAS WRONG, HE JUST BOUGHT HIMSELF AN ALT BUST. THAT FINALLY SUNK IN HIS THICK SKULL AS HE LEVELED OFF AT 18500' WHILE WE AWAITED THE FREQ TO CLEAR. WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM OUR ASSIGNED ALT, IT WAS INDEED FL190. IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A WHOLE LOT OF COMMON SENSE TO FIGURE OUT THAT IF THERE IS A DISAGREEMENT IN THE COCKPIT OVER AN ASSIGNED CLRNC, TAKE THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION--NOT 'WHAT THE CAPT HEARD.' I WAS A CAPT FOR 4 YRS BEFORE BEING DEMOTED THROUGH 'MERGIA-MANIA' AND THAT'S THE WAY I RAN MY COCKPIT.

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.