Air carrier medium large transport flight crew and approach controller clearance misunderstanding.

Attributes
ACN	141715
Time
Date	199004
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 5400 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	141715
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During an approach to sea, we left malau intersection and were told to descend to 11000' on a 340 degree heading. During the descent, we were further cleared to 7000'. The captain read back the clearance and when we were level at 7000' the controller asked what were we doing at 7000'. He told us that we had never been cleared out of 11000'. After the captain said that we had been cleared to 7000' and the clearance was read back, the controller said that he meant that clearance for another aircraft. There was no traffic conflict, so he said to remain at 7000'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW AND APCH CTLR CLRNC MISUNDERSTANDING.

Narrative: DURING AN APCH TO SEA, WE LEFT MALAU INTXN AND WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 11000' ON A 340 DEG HDG. DURING THE DSNT, WE WERE FURTHER CLRED TO 7000'. THE CAPT READ BACK THE CLRNC AND WHEN WE WERE LEVEL AT 7000' THE CTLR ASKED WHAT WERE WE DOING AT 7000'. HE TOLD US THAT WE HAD NEVER BEEN CLRED OUT OF 11000'. AFTER THE CAPT SAID THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 7000' AND THE CLRNC WAS READ BACK, THE CTLR SAID THAT HE MEANT THAT CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACFT. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT, SO HE SAID TO REMAIN AT 7000'.

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.