Air carrier X was descended to 11000' should have been assigned 13000'. Operational deviation.

Attributes
ACN	142012
Time
Date	199004
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tys
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12700 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl artcc : zau
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	142012
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 4375 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	142244
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Miss Distance	unspecified : 30000 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X cleared as filed (cha tys shine shine 1 clt at 15000'). We were approximately 30 NM east of tys on the tys transition to the shine 1 arrival into clt at 15000' MSL. We received a clearance from ZTL to cross 10 east of snowbird at 11000' (which is not on the arrival). The captain questioned the clearance of a snowbird fix--the descent to 11000' was not considered unusual. The controller explained about turboprop arrival gates into clt--'they want you off of snowbird at 13000'. Contact the shine sector on frequency...' we contacted the next sector. By now we had descended out of 15000' to cross 10 east of snowbird at 11000'. We were now passing through 13000 for 11000'. We contacted center and reported out of 13000 for 11000', 10 mi east of snowbird. Center asked us to say altitude again, and called air carrier Y at 12 O'clock at 12000'. We reported we were at 12700' and he ordered an immediate climb back up to 13000'. We climbed back to 13000' and nothing else was said. It was unusual to receive a clearance other than the shine arrival, and one sector had cleared us to an altitude the next sector had traffic in. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated air carrier Y was an mdt. The flight crew reviewed the wrong altitude assignment with the receiving controller and they had been assigned 11000'. Reporter estimated they were 5 mi from air carrier Y when they were back at 13000'. Routing over snowbird at 13000' was a new procedure that had been started that day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X WAS DESCENDED TO 11000' SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED 13000'. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: ACR X CLRED AS FILED (CHA TYS SHINE SHINE 1 CLT AT 15000'). WE WERE APPROX 30 NM E OF TYS ON THE TYS TRANSITION TO THE SHINE 1 ARR INTO CLT AT 15000' MSL. WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM ZTL TO CROSS 10 E OF SNOWBIRD AT 11000' (WHICH IS NOT ON THE ARR). THE CAPT QUESTIONED THE CLRNC OF A SNOWBIRD FIX--THE DSNT TO 11000' WAS NOT CONSIDERED UNUSUAL. THE CTLR EXPLAINED ABOUT TURBOPROP ARR GATES INTO CLT--'THEY WANT YOU OFF OF SNOWBIRD AT 13000'. CONTACT THE SHINE SECTOR ON FREQ...' WE CONTACTED THE NEXT SECTOR. BY NOW WE HAD DSNDED OUT OF 15000' TO CROSS 10 E OF SNOWBIRD AT 11000'. WE WERE NOW PASSING THROUGH 13000 FOR 11000'. WE CONTACTED CENTER AND RPTED OUT OF 13000 FOR 11000', 10 MI E OF SNOWBIRD. CENTER ASKED US TO SAY ALT AGAIN, AND CALLED ACR Y AT 12 O'CLOCK AT 12000'. WE RPTED WE WERE AT 12700' AND HE ORDERED AN IMMEDIATE CLB BACK UP TO 13000'. WE CLBED BACK TO 13000' AND NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID. IT WAS UNUSUAL TO RECEIVE A CLRNC OTHER THAN THE SHINE ARR, AND ONE SECTOR HAD CLRED US TO AN ALT THE NEXT SECTOR HAD TFC IN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED ACR Y WAS AN MDT. THE FLT CREW REVIEWED THE WRONG ALT ASSIGNMENT WITH THE RECEIVING CTLR AND THEY HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 11000'. RPTR ESTIMATED THEY WERE 5 MI FROM ACR Y WHEN THEY WERE BACK AT 13000'. ROUTING OVER SNOWBIRD AT 13000' WAS A NEW PROC THAT HAD BEEN STARTED THAT DAY.

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.