Confusion regarding altitude assignment on change of clearance.

Attributes
ACN	114681
Time
Date	198906
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ecl
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	114681
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

After being turned over to approach and being given airspeed and altitude assignments of 7000', 210 KTS, approach cleared us to maintain 5000'. This transmission was acknowledged and aircraft was descended to 5000'. After establishing at 5000' approach ask us to confirm altitude. We stated 5000' as instructed approach said he thought we should have been at 7000' but that he probably missed our call acknowledging our descent to 5000'. It seems as much as I hate to say it, that with traffic increase at hub airports and overworked controllers and not enough controllers that the thought of profile dscnts as in canada at yyz might help eliminate some of the workload for controllers as well as the flight crews, having access to altitude and airspeed already needed to move flows of traffic into our busy airports. Unfortunately this would take away some of the flexibility for arriving at airports but one must wonder if some type of compromise might not be worked out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION REGARDING ALT ASSIGNMENT ON CHANGE OF CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER BEING TURNED OVER TO APCH AND BEING GIVEN AIRSPEED AND ALT ASSIGNMENTS OF 7000', 210 KTS, APCH CLRED US TO MAINTAIN 5000'. THIS XMISSION WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACFT WAS DESCENDED TO 5000'. AFTER ESTABLISHING AT 5000' APCH ASK US TO CONFIRM ALT. WE STATED 5000' AS INSTRUCTED APCH SAID HE THOUGHT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 7000' BUT THAT HE PROBABLY MISSED OUR CALL ACKNOWLEDGING OUR DSCNT TO 5000'. IT SEEMS AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY IT, THAT WITH TFC INCREASE AT HUB ARPTS AND OVERWORKED CTLRS AND NOT ENOUGH CTLRS THAT THE THOUGHT OF PROFILE DSCNTS AS IN CANADA AT YYZ MIGHT HELP ELIMINATE SOME OF THE WORKLOAD FOR CTLRS AS WELL AS THE FLT CREWS, HAVING ACCESS TO ALT AND AIRSPEED ALREADY NEEDED TO MOVE FLOWS OF TFC INTO OUR BUSY ARPTS. UNFORTUNATELY THIS WOULD TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE FLEXIBILITY FOR ARRIVING AT ARPTS BUT ONE MUST WONDER IF SOME TYPE OF COMPROMISE MIGHT NOT BE WORKED OUT.

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.