Narrative:

We were en route to phl at FL370 and were south of fak on J51 when this incident occurred. ZDC cleared us to cross 10 mi north of fak at FL190. The first officer was handling communications and wrote the crossing restriction and altitude down before he read them back. Since I was flying the aircraft, I set the altitude in the fcp and entered the crossing restriction and altitude in the FMS. We both heard the clearance clearly. ZDC normally descends us early due to the heavy traffic in the area and a clearance to FL190 didn't seem unusual. Shortly after receiving the descent clearance we called out of FL370 for FL190, began a descent to make the crossing restriction and were passed off to another controller. We checked in on the new frequency and repeated our clearance. After we had been level at FL190 for several mins our controller asked us to verify our altitude and then asked us to climb to FL240. We complied and then asked the controller to explain. He said that we should have been cleared to FL290. The potential for disaster here is obvious; however, I am also concerned that there is nothing else we could have done in the cockpit to prevent it. We both heard the clearance clearly, were both involved in complying with the crossing restriction and read the clearance back to 2 different controllers. Our altitude reporting system was working normally. Both controllers were busy, but there were breaks in the communications on the frequency and neither one seemed harried.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT OVERSHOOT IN DESCENT.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE TO PHL AT FL370 AND WERE S OF FAK ON J51 WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. ZDC CLRED US TO CROSS 10 MI N OF FAK AT FL190. THE F/O WAS HANDLING COMS AND WROTE THE XING RESTRICTION AND ALT DOWN BEFORE HE READ THEM BACK. SINCE I WAS FLYING THE ACFT, I SET THE ALT IN THE FCP AND ENTERED THE XING RESTRICTION AND ALT IN THE FMS. WE BOTH HEARD THE CLRNC CLEARLY. ZDC NORMALLY DSNDS US EARLY DUE TO THE HEAVY TFC IN THE AREA AND A CLRNC TO FL190 DIDN'T SEEM UNUSUAL. SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING THE DSNT CLRNC WE CALLED OUT OF FL370 FOR FL190, BEGAN A DSNT TO MAKE THE XING RESTRICTION AND WERE PASSED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR. WE CHKED IN ON THE NEW FREQ AND REPEATED OUR CLRNC. AFTER WE HAD BEEN LEVEL AT FL190 FOR SEVERAL MINS OUR CTLR ASKED US TO VERIFY OUR ALT AND THEN ASKED US TO CLB TO FL240. WE COMPLIED AND THEN ASKED THE CTLR TO EXPLAIN. HE SAID THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED TO FL290. THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER HERE IS OBVIOUS; HOWEVER, I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE WE COULD HAVE DONE IN THE COCKPIT TO PREVENT IT. WE BOTH HEARD THE CLRNC CLEARLY, WERE BOTH INVOLVED IN COMPLYING WITH THE XING RESTRICTION AND READ THE CLRNC BACK TO 2 DIFFERENT CTLRS. OUR ALT RPTING SYS WAS WORKING NORMALLY. BOTH CTLRS WERE BUSY, BUT THERE WERE BREAKS IN THE COMS ON THE FREQ AND NEITHER ONE SEEMED HARRIED.

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.