Flight crew of medium large transport on descent into sna given 4000 then corrected to 5000. Reporte...

Attributes
ACN	121642
Time
Date	198908
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sna
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	121642
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
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

On descent to sna, coast descended us from 6000 to 4000, which I read back. Just as we were leveling at 4, the female controller said to climb to 5000. (As a note, after being cleared to 4000 the captain said 'we normally get 5000 here'. I said yes, but lately, with the new airspace plan, we had been getting different altitudes in this sector.) I then said to the controller 'this is the third time in the past month that we have been descended to 4000, then told to climb back to 5000. Is there a problem developing here? She replied 'I don't know if I gave you 4 or 5000, but 5000 is the altitude I should have given you'. I replied 'yes, you gave us 4000, which I read back, and we were talking about it in the cockpit'. This ended the conversation, and we were handed off. I feel coast must have something, perhaps an altitude for long beach arrs, which is causing interference here. (I haven't flown into lgb since the new airspace plan was put into effect, so I'm not sure what altitude they normally use, but the routing is the same.) I think coast should review their procedures here, because I do feel a glitch somewhere, as I have heard other crews descending into sna also given the apparently wrong altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG ON DESCENT INTO SNA GIVEN 4000 THEN CORRECTED TO 5000. REPORTER IMPLIES POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH PROCS AT SNA TRACON.

Narrative: ON DESCENT TO SNA, COAST DESCENDED US FROM 6000 TO 4000, WHICH I READ BACK. JUST AS WE WERE LEVELING AT 4, THE FEMALE CTLR SAID TO CLIMB TO 5000. (AS A NOTE, AFTER BEING CLRED TO 4000 THE CAPT SAID 'WE NORMALLY GET 5000 HERE'. I SAID YES, BUT LATELY, WITH THE NEW AIRSPACE PLAN, WE HAD BEEN GETTING DIFFERENT ALTS IN THIS SECTOR.) I THEN SAID TO THE CTLR 'THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST MONTH THAT WE HAVE BEEN DESCENDED TO 4000, THEN TOLD TO CLIMB BACK TO 5000. IS THERE A PROBLEM DEVELOPING HERE? SHE REPLIED 'I DON'T KNOW IF I GAVE YOU 4 OR 5000, BUT 5000 IS THE ALT I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU'. I REPLIED 'YES, YOU GAVE US 4000, WHICH I READ BACK, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT IN THE COCKPIT'. THIS ENDED THE CONVERSATION, AND WE WERE HANDED OFF. I FEEL COAST MUST HAVE SOMETHING, PERHAPS AN ALT FOR LONG BEACH ARRS, WHICH IS CAUSING INTERFERENCE HERE. (I HAVEN'T FLOWN INTO LGB SINCE THE NEW AIRSPACE PLAN WAS PUT INTO EFFECT, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALT THEY NORMALLY USE, BUT THE ROUTING IS THE SAME.) I THINK COAST SHOULD REVIEW THEIR PROCS HERE, BECAUSE I DO FEEL A GLITCH SOMEWHERE, AS I HAVE HEARD OTHER CREWS DESCENDING INTO SNA ALSO GIVEN THE APPARENTLY WRONG ALT.

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.

Flight crew of medium large transport on descent into sna given 4000 then corrected to 5000. Reporter implies potential problem with procedures at sna TRACON.