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ARTCC radar controller wanted the air carrier medium large transport at 12000', but in heat of battle cleared the aircraft to 11000'.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 138655 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199003 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : atl |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival star : star enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 138655 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 138477 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Flying from savannah, GA to atl. This is a short leg, and as the PNF, I was somewhat busy. As the captain leveled off at FL240, I made a passenger announcement to the passenger, got ATIS and got a gate assignment from our ramp control in atl. When I returned to assist the captain he had been notified by ZTL to descend at pilot's direction to 11000'. We did so shortly after I resumed talking on the radios. I called 'out of 240 for 11000.' we were filed for the sinca arrival into atl, but never were on any published portion of the arrival. We were assigned a left turn to about 250 degrees. We leveled off at 11000' west/O incident. After about 2 mins at 10000' on the atl 150 degree right, at approximately 55 DME, we were told by ZTL to, (urgently) 'climb immediately to 12000' and turn right to 360 degrees.' as we complied I called back to verify the clearance and the controller repeated his instructions and told us we had descended through our altitude. We were then handed off to atl approach west/O further comment. After landing in atl we called ZTL, at hampton, on the phone. We spoke to the supervisor in charge of the southeast sector (which we were handled by). We told him our flight # and asked if there was some confusion with our altitude assignment. He said that he was aware of our concern, however the controller had assigned us the incorrect altitude and he apologized for the mixup. He added that it was an extremely busy period and that the controller had made an error in our initial descent altitude assignment. Factors contributing to this event: 1) high controller workload, 2) irregular sequencing into atl (vectors off the STAR), 3) the last leg of a 7 1/2 hour block (13 hour duty) day with 6 legs (we were fatigued as well), and 4) by being on the radios I could not verify the initial 11000' assignment. Although we were following our instructions as assigned, it was an extremely unsettling event.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR WANTED THE ACR MLG AT 12000', BUT IN HEAT OF BATTLE CLEARED THE ACFT TO 11000'.
Narrative: FLYING FROM SAVANNAH, GA TO ATL. THIS IS A SHORT LEG, AND AS THE PNF, I WAS SOMEWHAT BUSY. AS THE CAPT LEVELED OFF AT FL240, I MADE A PAX ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX, GOT ATIS AND GOT A GATE ASSIGNMENT FROM OUR RAMP CONTROL IN ATL. WHEN I RETURNED TO ASSIST THE CAPT HE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED BY ZTL TO DSND AT PLT'S DIRECTION TO 11000'. WE DID SO SHORTLY AFTER I RESUMED TALKING ON THE RADIOS. I CALLED 'OUT OF 240 FOR 11000.' WE WERE FILED FOR THE SINCA ARR INTO ATL, BUT NEVER WERE ON ANY PUBLISHED PORTION OF THE ARR. WE WERE ASSIGNED A LEFT TURN TO ABOUT 250 DEGS. WE LEVELED OFF AT 11000' W/O INCIDENT. AFTER ABOUT 2 MINS AT 10000' ON THE ATL 150 DEG R, AT APPROX 55 DME, WE WERE TOLD BY ZTL TO, (URGENTLY) 'CLB IMMEDIATELY TO 12000' AND TURN RIGHT TO 360 DEGS.' AS WE COMPLIED I CALLED BACK TO VERIFY THE CLRNC AND THE CTLR REPEATED HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND TOLD US WE HAD DSNDED THROUGH OUR ALT. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO ATL APCH W/O FURTHER COMMENT. AFTER LNDG IN ATL WE CALLED ZTL, AT HAMPTON, ON THE PHONE. WE SPOKE TO THE SUPVR IN CHARGE OF THE SE SECTOR (WHICH WE WERE HANDLED BY). WE TOLD HIM OUR FLT # AND ASKED IF THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION WITH OUR ALT ASSIGNMENT. HE SAID THAT HE WAS AWARE OF OUR CONCERN, HOWEVER THE CTLR HAD ASSIGNED US THE INCORRECT ALT AND HE APOLOGIZED FOR THE MIXUP. HE ADDED THAT IT WAS AN EXTREMELY BUSY PERIOD AND THAT THE CTLR HAD MADE AN ERROR IN OUR INITIAL DSCNT ALT ASSIGNMENT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS EVENT: 1) HIGH CTLR WORKLOAD, 2) IRREGULAR SEQUENCING INTO ATL (VECTORS OFF THE STAR), 3) THE LAST LEG OF A 7 1/2 HR BLOCK (13 HR DUTY) DAY WITH 6 LEGS (WE WERE FATIGUED AS WELL), AND 4) BY BEING ON THE RADIOS I COULD NOT VERIFY THE INITIAL 11000' ASSIGNMENT. ALTHOUGH WE WERE FOLLOWING OUR INSTRUCTIONS AS ASSIGNED, IT WAS AN EXTREMELY UNSETTLING EVENT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.