Air carrier X radar handoff to receiving at wrong altitude. Operational deviation.

Attributes
ACN	148591
Time
Date	199006
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : elm
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
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	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 20000
ASRS Report	148591
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X en route from dca to roc at FL280. First officer flying the aircraft. At this altitude air carrier X was picking up light turbulence and asked my center for FL260 as had noticed climbing through that altitude it was smooth. Center said couldn't approve that yet due to traffic. Cleared us to FL270. Then changed to another ny center frequency and told them we were monitoring 270. Controller said, 'you mean you are descending from FL270 to FL260?' I said no we were cleared to maintain fl 270. He said descend immediately to FL260. Pulled power off and made rapid descent to FL260. Cause of problem. Ny center controller error.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X RADAR HANDOFF TO RECEIVING AT WRONG ALT. OPDEV.

Narrative: ACR X ENRTE FROM DCA TO ROC AT FL280. F/O FLYING THE ACFT. AT THIS ALT ACR X WAS PICKING UP LIGHT TURB AND ASKED MY CTR FOR FL260 AS HAD NOTICED CLBING THROUGH THAT ALT IT WAS SMOOTH. CTR SAID COULDN'T APPROVE THAT YET DUE TO TFC. CLRED US TO FL270. THEN CHANGED TO ANOTHER NY CTR FREQ AND TOLD THEM WE WERE MONITORING 270. CTLR SAID, 'YOU MEAN YOU ARE DSNDING FROM FL270 TO FL260?' I SAID NO WE WERE CLRED TO MAINTAIN FL 270. HE SAID DSND IMMEDIATELY TO FL260. PULLED PWR OFF AND MADE RAPID DSNT TO FL260. CAUSE OF PROB. NY CTR CTLR ERROR.

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.