Narrative:

I was the first officer of flight from clt to gso and was flying the aircraft. Approaching gso we were cleared by the approach controller to descend from 9000 to 5000'. The captain acknowledged the clearance and set 5000' into the altitude alerter. After leveling at 5000' the controller asked us what our altitude was. We told him and he responded by stating that we had been assigned 6000'. He then instructed us to maintain 5000' and said that no conflict had resulted. That was the last thing the controller said about the incident, and the following approach and landing were normal. The captain and I are both absolutely convinced that we were assigned 5000', but west/O listening to the tapes there is no way to verify it. Perhaps all pilots should start recording ATC conversations for their own protection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG DESCENDING UNDERSTOOD CLEARED 5T. CTLR STATED HAD CLEARED FLT TO 6T.

Narrative: I WAS THE F/O OF FLT FROM CLT TO GSO AND WAS FLYING THE ACFT. APCHING GSO WE WERE CLRED BY THE APCH CTLR TO DSND FROM 9000 TO 5000'. THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND SET 5000' INTO THE ALT ALERTER. AFTER LEVELING AT 5000' THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT OUR ALT WAS. WE TOLD HIM AND HE RESPONDED BY STATING THAT WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 6000'. HE THEN INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN 5000' AND SAID THAT NO CONFLICT HAD RESULTED. THAT WAS THE LAST THING THE CTLR SAID ABOUT THE INCIDENT, AND THE FOLLOWING APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. THE CAPT AND I ARE BOTH ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT WE WERE ASSIGNED 5000', BUT W/O LISTENING TO THE TAPES THERE IS NO WAY TO VERIFY IT. PERHAPS ALL PLTS SHOULD START RECORDING ATC CONVERSATIONS FOR THEIR OWN PROTECTION.

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.