Narrative:

On a flight from jfk to mad, the flight was cleared to FL290 out of jfk. Prior to the start of our oceanic track, we again received FL290 for the crossing. After returning to the domestic center and about 10 mins prior to slate intersection, the start of our oceanic track, we were cleared to FL310 because of conflicting traffic and shortly thereafter directed to switch to HF. We found ny radio and received a SELCAL check on what turned out to be a secondary frequency. At about slate the captain left the cockpit for physiological purposes. After leaving the cockpit, I asked the first officer, 'weren't we cleared for FL290 for the crossing by oceanic.' the first officer indicated that I was correct and that we shouldn't be at FL310 past slate. He then directed that I communicate with ny radio. It probably took several mins to again establish communication with oceanic since the secondary frequency proved unreliable and it wasn't until 3 frequency changes later that shanwick was able to give us the correct primary frequency for ny. I then requested to confirm whether our clearance was for FL310 or FL290. Ny radio came back with, 'understand you are reporting FL290.' I then looked around at the altimeter to find that we were indeed only a couple hundred ft above FL290. So I merely said, 'affirmative.' the first officer had initiated a 2000' descent west/O clearance from oceanic or the captain. I again reported level FL290 for the second time to make sure that oceanic knew that we were at FL290 and not FL310. Since both the first officer and the F/east, myself, believed that the domestic center and the oceanic center were two entirely separate organizations that did not normally communicate directly with each other, we believed that the flight was in violation until we were level at FL290 as per the original oceanic clearance. Only the first officer knows why he elected to cure one perceived wrong with a second mistake, descending 2000' west/O clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO CONFUSED ON ASSIGNED ALT AND DESCENDS TO PLANNED ALT FL290 VERSUS ASSIGNED FL310.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM JFK TO MAD, THE FLT WAS CLRED TO FL290 OUT OF JFK. PRIOR TO THE START OF OUR OCEANIC TRACK, WE AGAIN RECEIVED FL290 FOR THE XING. AFTER RETURNING TO THE DOMESTIC CTR AND ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO SLATE INTXN, THE START OF OUR OCEANIC TRACK, WE WERE CLRED TO FL310 BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TFC AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER DIRECTED TO SWITCH TO HF. WE FOUND NY RADIO AND RECEIVED A SELCAL CHK ON WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A SECONDARY FREQ. AT ABOUT SLATE THE CAPT LEFT THE COCKPIT FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL PURPOSES. AFTER LEAVING THE COCKPIT, I ASKED THE F/O, 'WEREN'T WE CLRED FOR FL290 FOR THE XING BY OCEANIC.' THE F/O INDICATED THAT I WAS CORRECT AND THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE AT FL310 PAST SLATE. HE THEN DIRECTED THAT I COMMUNICATE WITH NY RADIO. IT PROBABLY TOOK SEVERAL MINS TO AGAIN ESTABLISH COM WITH OCEANIC SINCE THE SECONDARY FREQ PROVED UNRELIABLE AND IT WASN'T UNTIL 3 FREQ CHANGES LATER THAT SHANWICK WAS ABLE TO GIVE US THE CORRECT PRIMARY FREQ FOR NY. I THEN REQUESTED TO CONFIRM WHETHER OUR CLRNC WAS FOR FL310 OR FL290. NY RADIO CAME BACK WITH, 'UNDERSTAND YOU ARE RPTING FL290.' I THEN LOOKED AROUND AT THE ALTIMETER TO FIND THAT WE WERE INDEED ONLY A COUPLE HUNDRED FT ABOVE FL290. SO I MERELY SAID, 'AFFIRMATIVE.' THE F/O HAD INITIATED A 2000' DSNT W/O CLRNC FROM OCEANIC OR THE CAPT. I AGAIN RPTED LEVEL FL290 FOR THE SEC TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT OCEANIC KNEW THAT WE WERE AT FL290 AND NOT FL310. SINCE BOTH THE F/O AND THE F/E, MYSELF, BELIEVED THAT THE DOMESTIC CTR AND THE OCEANIC CTR WERE TWO ENTIRELY SEPARATE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DID NOT NORMALLY COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH EACH OTHER, WE BELIEVED THAT THE FLT WAS IN VIOLATION UNTIL WE WERE LEVEL AT FL290 AS PER THE ORIGINAL OCEANIC CLRNC. ONLY THE F/O KNOWS WHY HE ELECTED TO CURE ONE PERCEIVED WRONG WITH A SEC MISTAKE, DSNDING 2000' W/O CLRNC.

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.