Air carrier widebody transport altitude deviation overshot during descent into atl.

Attributes
ACN	121124
Time
Date	198908
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26800 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	121124
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	120867
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

ZTL had cleared our flight from FL350 to FL240 on the sinca arrival into atl. Our crew heard clearance to FL240 and acknowledged FL240 in the readback. ZTL then rogered our readback of the FL240 clearance. Passing FL268 toward FL240, ZTL advised we were cleared only to FL280. Our crew repeated that we had been cleared to FL240, and had read it back with center acknowledgement. We were then cleared as 'expeditious descent to FL240 with an off-heading vector to 270 degrees (heading at time of event was 325 degrees). On ground I spoke with ZTL supervisor, who stated he believed it was a controller error, versus ours, and that no alarms had been triggered. Supplemental information from acn 120867: I, the captain, was turned to my left side, getting the approach plate out of my book. ATC gave us a vector and said to expedite out of FL250 and continue to FL240. With the rapid fire of clrncs on the radios, and my looking up an approach plate, I'm sorry to say that I did not recall hearing our clearance and relied on my first officer.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING DESCENT INTO ATL.

Narrative: ZTL HAD CLRED OUR FLT FROM FL350 TO FL240 ON THE SINCA ARR INTO ATL. OUR CREW HEARD CLRNC TO FL240 AND ACKNOWLEDGED FL240 IN THE READBACK. ZTL THEN ROGERED OUR READBACK OF THE FL240 CLRNC. PASSING FL268 TOWARD FL240, ZTL ADVISED WE WERE CLRED ONLY TO FL280. OUR CREW REPEATED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL240, AND HAD READ IT BACK WITH CENTER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. WE WERE THEN CLRED AS 'EXPEDITIOUS DSCNT TO FL240 WITH AN OFF-HDG VECTOR TO 270 DEGS (HDG AT TIME OF EVENT WAS 325 DEGS). ON GND I SPOKE WITH ZTL SUPVR, WHO STATED HE BELIEVED IT WAS A CTLR ERROR, VERSUS OURS, AND THAT NO ALARMS HAD BEEN TRIGGERED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 120867: I, THE CAPT, WAS TURNED TO MY LEFT SIDE, GETTING THE APCH PLATE OUT OF MY BOOK. ATC GAVE US A VECTOR AND SAID TO EXPEDITE OUT OF FL250 AND CONTINUE TO FL240. WITH THE RAPID FIRE OF CLRNCS ON THE RADIOS, AND MY LOOKING UP AN APCH PLATE, I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT I DID NOT RECALL HEARING OUR CLRNC AND RELIED ON MY F/O.

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.