Narrative:

On arrival to bos we were given a hold at gdm VOR. We spent approximately 45 mins in hold when we were cleared to bos by the gdm SID. The captain acknowledged. My vol on my communication box was low on ATC while I was getting an update of ATIS for us for bos. Upon returning to ATC and witnessing captain increase airspeed, I asked if we were cleared out of the hold and to where. He stated by the SID. At this time I was flying the aircraft. After crossing bronc I started a descent to cross lobby intersection at 8000' and 230 KTS, at which time captain questioned why the descent. We had previously entered the speeds and crossing restrictions into aircraft's FMC before we had entered the hold. We quickly checked and noted the expect written under the intersection waypoints on the SID. At this time we had descended to 10600'. We immediately started a climb back to 11000'. Bos approach called and asked who had given us a clearance to 8000' twice! While we were leveling back to 11000' he then stated that there was no problem and no need to place a phone call when we got on the ground. Chain of events was simple. Miscom between first officer and captain and nighttime lighting in cockpit. This may not seem important, but it is, and SID text! Miscom was just that--a momentary breakdown. Lighting in cockpit is simple, too. You keep lights down so your eyes can adjust, however shadows can cover important words on the pages you're trying to read while the lightning is flashing. SID text--this is a little trip. In bold print is the intersection or vors, bold print for airspds/altitude at these points. But in small, light print, is the word 'expect.' however if you look at the paragraph on bottom left of SID describing the SID, you will find expect, but it is underlined. Both captain and first officer read the SID before our 45 min hold, plenty of time to forget it when you're worried about WX, fuel, alternate decisions, approachs through WX! All sids and airport information is important. But, if we are to be aware to possibly expect a clearance or other information that we will be held accountable to make the flight safer. Wouldn't it be better to have this in bold print, as well? One conclusion to be made if I may. The controller had no knowledge of the altitude we had set in our autoplt, but he knew the altitude we were going to go to. This must have occurred to some other unfortunate before. The controllers must have witnessed this before as well, so it seems better portrayals on these pages could save controller workload as well as pilot workload for a safer system.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT ON STAR INTO BOS.

Narrative: ON ARR TO BOS WE WERE GIVEN A HOLD AT GDM VOR. WE SPENT APPROX 45 MINS IN HOLD WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO BOS BY THE GDM SID. THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED. MY VOL ON MY COM BOX WAS LOW ON ATC WHILE I WAS GETTING AN UPDATE OF ATIS FOR US FOR BOS. UPON RETURNING TO ATC AND WITNESSING CAPT INCREASE AIRSPD, I ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED OUT OF THE HOLD AND TO WHERE. HE STATED BY THE SID. AT THIS TIME I WAS FLYING THE ACFT. AFTER XING BRONC I STARTED A DSNT TO CROSS LOBBY INTXN AT 8000' AND 230 KTS, AT WHICH TIME CAPT QUESTIONED WHY THE DSNT. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY ENTERED THE SPDS AND XING RESTRICTIONS INTO ACFT'S FMC BEFORE WE HAD ENTERED THE HOLD. WE QUICKLY CHKED AND NOTED THE EXPECT WRITTEN UNDER THE INTXN WAYPOINTS ON THE SID. AT THIS TIME WE HAD DSNDED TO 10600'. WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED A CLB BACK TO 11000'. BOS APCH CALLED AND ASKED WHO HAD GIVEN US A CLRNC TO 8000' TWICE! WHILE WE WERE LEVELING BACK TO 11000' HE THEN STATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROB AND NO NEED TO PLACE A PHONE CALL WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND. CHAIN OF EVENTS WAS SIMPLE. MISCOM BTWN F/O AND CAPT AND NIGHTTIME LIGHTING IN COCKPIT. THIS MAY NOT SEEM IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS, AND SID TEXT! MISCOM WAS JUST THAT--A MOMENTARY BREAKDOWN. LIGHTING IN COCKPIT IS SIMPLE, TOO. YOU KEEP LIGHTS DOWN SO YOUR EYES CAN ADJUST, HOWEVER SHADOWS CAN COVER IMPORTANT WORDS ON THE PAGES YOU'RE TRYING TO READ WHILE THE LIGHTNING IS FLASHING. SID TEXT--THIS IS A LITTLE TRIP. IN BOLD PRINT IS THE INTXN OR VORS, BOLD PRINT FOR AIRSPDS/ALT AT THESE POINTS. BUT IN SMALL, LIGHT PRINT, IS THE WORD 'EXPECT.' HOWEVER IF YOU LOOK AT THE PARAGRAPH ON BOTTOM LEFT OF SID DESCRIBING THE SID, YOU WILL FIND EXPECT, BUT IT IS UNDERLINED. BOTH CAPT AND F/O READ THE SID BEFORE OUR 45 MIN HOLD, PLENTY OF TIME TO FORGET IT WHEN YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT WX, FUEL, ALTERNATE DECISIONS, APCHS THROUGH WX! ALL SIDS AND ARPT INFO IS IMPORTANT. BUT, IF WE ARE TO BE AWARE TO POSSIBLY EXPECT A CLRNC OR OTHER INFO THAT WE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO MAKE THE FLT SAFER. WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER TO HAVE THIS IN BOLD PRINT, AS WELL? ONE CONCLUSION TO BE MADE IF I MAY. THE CTLR HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE ALT WE HAD SET IN OUR AUTOPLT, BUT HE KNEW THE ALT WE WERE GOING TO GO TO. THIS MUST HAVE OCCURRED TO SOME OTHER UNFORTUNATE BEFORE. THE CTLRS MUST HAVE WITNESSED THIS BEFORE AS WELL, SO IT SEEMS BETTER PORTRAYALS ON THESE PAGES COULD SAVE CTLR WORKLOAD AS WELL AS PLT WORKLOAD FOR A SAFER SYS.

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.