Narrative:

Cleared to 6000' on vectors for ILS 22L at bos. Assigned a northeast heading away from airport for sequence to 22L, which was being used for takeoff. (Too heavy for 27, the runway in use for landing.) descended to 5800' at 500 FPM, caught excursion and leveled at 5750'. Power coming up when clearance to 5000' received. Engines had not spooled up, so pushed nose over to continue descent. Controled assigned new frequency, then asked our altitude. Replied '5500, confirm we are cleared to 5000'. Replied 'cleared to 5000, but you descended below 6000' before you were cleared to 5000'. Switched to new frequency and continued approach and landed. Was hand flying aircraft without flight director. Excursion was minor, but my fault. We had difficulty with this controller, which caused extra cockpit conversation. He spoke very rapidly and began his xmissions, particularly acknowledgements, before the aircraft had finished, so that the company name was seldom heard and the first couple of digits of the flight number were covered also. On our initial check in, we heard a readback of only the last digit of our flight number, so we checked in again. Many aircraft and approach control xmissions were smeared because the controller responded before a transmitting aircraft was off the air. Frequency was not particularly busy (not that many aircraft), so his rapid fire procedures were unnecessary. At least once, he said, 'all aircraft listen up and pay attention to xmissions'. We heard few missed xmissions, but many times when he stepped on the aircraft transmitting, causing a 'say again' or 'who was that for?' from controled aircraft. We had several short conversations in the cockpit about: 'was that for us?' or 'what did he say?', so we were definitely distracted when excursion occurred. This is an observation, not an excuse. We weren't tired, WX was not a factor. Crew experience in type was very limited in all 3 seats, but was not a factor (in my judgement). ATC congestion was not a problem. I just directed more attention to deciphering controller xmissions than flying the aircraft. On 2 or 3 occasions while we were on the frequency, I nearly picked up the microphone and told him to 'slow down', but didn't, because I didn't want to start an argument.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COM PROBLEM WITH APCH CTLR ACCOUNT RAPID DELIVERY AND STEPPING ON TRANSMISSIONS.

Narrative: CLRED TO 6000' ON VECTORS FOR ILS 22L AT BOS. ASSIGNED A NE HDG AWAY FROM ARPT FOR SEQUENCE TO 22L, WHICH WAS BEING USED FOR TKOF. (TOO HEAVY FOR 27, THE RWY IN USE FOR LNDG.) DESCENDED TO 5800' AT 500 FPM, CAUGHT EXCURSION AND LEVELED AT 5750'. POWER COMING UP WHEN CLRNC TO 5000' RECEIVED. ENGINES HAD NOT SPOOLED UP, SO PUSHED NOSE OVER TO CONTINUE DSCNT. CTLED ASSIGNED NEW FREQ, THEN ASKED OUR ALT. REPLIED '5500, CONFIRM WE ARE CLRED TO 5000'. REPLIED 'CLRED TO 5000, BUT YOU DESCENDED BELOW 6000' BEFORE YOU WERE CLRED TO 5000'. SWITCHED TO NEW FREQ AND CONTINUED APCH AND LANDED. WAS HAND FLYING ACFT WITHOUT FLT DIRECTOR. EXCURSION WAS MINOR, BUT MY FAULT. WE HAD DIFFICULTY WITH THIS CTLR, WHICH CAUSED EXTRA COCKPIT CONVERSATION. HE SPOKE VERY RAPIDLY AND BEGAN HIS XMISSIONS, PARTICULARLY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, BEFORE THE ACFT HAD FINISHED, SO THAT THE COMPANY NAME WAS SELDOM HEARD AND THE FIRST COUPLE OF DIGITS OF THE FLT NUMBER WERE COVERED ALSO. ON OUR INITIAL CHECK IN, WE HEARD A READBACK OF ONLY THE LAST DIGIT OF OUR FLT NUMBER, SO WE CHECKED IN AGAIN. MANY ACFT AND APCH CTL XMISSIONS WERE SMEARED BECAUSE THE CTLR RESPONDED BEFORE A XMITTING ACFT WAS OFF THE AIR. FREQ WAS NOT PARTICULARLY BUSY (NOT THAT MANY ACFT), SO HIS RAPID FIRE PROCS WERE UNNECESSARY. AT LEAST ONCE, HE SAID, 'ALL ACFT LISTEN UP AND PAY ATTN TO XMISSIONS'. WE HEARD FEW MISSED XMISSIONS, BUT MANY TIMES WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE ACFT XMITTING, CAUSING A 'SAY AGAIN' OR 'WHO WAS THAT FOR?' FROM CTLED ACFT. WE HAD SEVERAL SHORT CONVERSATIONS IN THE COCKPIT ABOUT: 'WAS THAT FOR US?' OR 'WHAT DID HE SAY?', SO WE WERE DEFINITELY DISTRACTED WHEN EXCURSION OCCURRED. THIS IS AN OBSERVATION, NOT AN EXCUSE. WE WEREN'T TIRED, WX WAS NOT A FACTOR. CREW EXPERIENCE IN TYPE WAS VERY LIMITED IN ALL 3 SEATS, BUT WAS NOT A FACTOR (IN MY JUDGEMENT). ATC CONGESTION WAS NOT A PROBLEM. I JUST DIRECTED MORE ATTN TO DECIPHERING CTLR XMISSIONS THAN FLYING THE ACFT. ON 2 OR 3 OCCASIONS WHILE WE WERE ON THE FREQ, I NEARLY PICKED UP THE MIKE AND TOLD HIM TO 'SLOW DOWN', BUT DIDN'T, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO START AN ARGUMENT.

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.