Narrative:

I was flying from dallas love to altus, ok. I was at 6000' when ZFW handed me off to altus approach. Altus advised me twice of a WX warning, of which severe turbulence was reported by an small aircraft. The severe WX advisory of the winds were 230 degrees at 20 KTS gusting 30 KTS, then 030 degrees at 20 KTS gusting 30. I asked approach which way altus (AFB) was landing. They said altitude AFB was landing to the north. Then the lady controller told me that I was 'cleared for the visibility approach' (at least that is what I thought I heard). So I said, 'atx xx (or at least 'xx') is cleared for the visibility approach' (I always read back my clrncs, just like aim says to do). So I slowly started descending from 6000', because I didn't want to get to the severe turbulence too soon, but desired to stay out of the turbulence as long as possible. I asked the controller what they showed the distance to altus, and she said, after much delay, 33 mi (I believe). Around that time, when I got around 3900', I hit the moderate to severe turbulence, of which I notified approach, and the altitude, and volunteered that I also had the traffic at my 10 O'clock position in sight. It looked like an mlt (plenty of room--no close call) transport, of which they forgot to advise me--wasn't like there was too much traffic, just myself and the mlt. Then all of a sudden, the man controller jumped on me and said, 'what is your altitude?!!!' I said 4000' (I leveled off at 4000' to stay clear of the severe turbulence). He said I was to be at 6000'! Quite shocked, I said the lady controller had cleared me for the visibility approach. Negative, he said; she said expect the visibility approach! I told him I read back the full clearance to her, and she never corrected me! (I had no idea I was wrong.) so I told the controller, obviously I misunderstood what she said, but she also did the same of what I said. (It was interesting after the man controller discovered I was at 4000', the lady controller never came back on again. I believe they knew she was wrong, but tried to make me out to be the scapegoat.) he then said, 'just maintain 4000'.' after I landed, (via radio) I apologized for the altitude problem, and said even though I misunderstood what she said, she never corrected my readback. He was definitely unfriendly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT DESCENDED AND CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO AN MLT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM DALLAS LOVE TO ALTUS, OK. I WAS AT 6000' WHEN ZFW HANDED ME OFF TO ALTUS APCH. ALTUS ADVISED ME TWICE OF A WX WARNING, OF WHICH SEVERE TURB WAS RPTED BY AN SMA. THE SEVERE WX ADVISORY OF THE WINDS WERE 230 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING 30 KTS, THEN 030 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING 30. I ASKED APCH WHICH WAY ALTUS (AFB) WAS LNDG. THEY SAID ALT AFB WAS LNDG TO THE N. THEN THE LADY CTLR TOLD ME THAT I WAS 'CLRED FOR THE VIS APCH' (AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD). SO I SAID, 'ATX XX (OR AT LEAST 'XX') IS CLRED FOR THE VIS APCH' (I ALWAYS READ BACK MY CLRNCS, JUST LIKE AIM SAYS TO DO). SO I SLOWLY STARTED DSNDING FROM 6000', BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO GET TO THE SEVERE TURB TOO SOON, BUT DESIRED TO STAY OUT OF THE TURB AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. I ASKED THE CTLR WHAT THEY SHOWED THE DISTANCE TO ALTUS, AND SHE SAID, AFTER MUCH DELAY, 33 MI (I BELIEVE). AROUND THAT TIME, WHEN I GOT AROUND 3900', I HIT THE MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB, OF WHICH I NOTIFIED APCH, AND THE ALT, AND VOLUNTEERED THAT I ALSO HAD THE TFC AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS IN SIGHT. IT LOOKED LIKE AN MLT (PLENTY OF ROOM--NO CLOSE CALL) TRANSPORT, OF WHICH THEY FORGOT TO ADVISE ME--WASN'T LIKE THERE WAS TOO MUCH TFC, JUST MYSELF AND THE MLT. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE MAN CTLR JUMPED ON ME AND SAID, 'WHAT IS YOUR ALT?!!!' I SAID 4000' (I LEVELED OFF AT 4000' TO STAY CLR OF THE SEVERE TURB). HE SAID I WAS TO BE AT 6000'! QUITE SHOCKED, I SAID THE LADY CTLR HAD CLRED ME FOR THE VIS APCH. NEGATIVE, HE SAID; SHE SAID EXPECT THE VIS APCH! I TOLD HIM I READ BACK THE FULL CLRNC TO HER, AND SHE NEVER CORRECTED ME! (I HAD NO IDEA I WAS WRONG.) SO I TOLD THE CTLR, OBVIOUSLY I MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT SHE SAID, BUT SHE ALSO DID THE SAME OF WHAT I SAID. (IT WAS INTERESTING AFTER THE MAN CTLR DISCOVERED I WAS AT 4000', THE LADY CTLR NEVER CAME BACK ON AGAIN. I BELIEVE THEY KNEW SHE WAS WRONG, BUT TRIED TO MAKE ME OUT TO BE THE SCAPEGOAT.) HE THEN SAID, 'JUST MAINTAIN 4000'.' AFTER I LANDED, (VIA RADIO) I APOLOGIZED FOR THE ALT PROB, AND SAID EVEN THOUGH I MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT SHE SAID, SHE NEVER CORRECTED MY READBACK. HE WAS DEFINITELY UNFRIENDLY.

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.