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Cpr medium large transport flight crew gets descent clearance wrong, but controller catches the error before an altitude deviation occurs.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 179676 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199105 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ard airport : teb |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 179676 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Approaching ard VOR descending for our destination of teb, we were cleared by ZDC ARTCC to cross ard at 9000', then maintain 8000' and contact ny approach. The copilot read it back, as both of us thought we heard and understood the clearance to read: cross ard at 9000', then maintain 6000'. The controller caught the error and repeated the clearance exactly as before. The copilot and I thought we heard the same clearance to cross ard at 9000' and maintain 6000'. Not knowing there was an error, we thought they had not heard our readback or that our xmissions may have been garbled. Since we thought the clearance was the same, he just 'rogered' the receipt of the clearance. When we contacted ny approach we reported descending to 6000', they caught the error and told us to maintain 8000'. Fortunately, we were at 8400' and stopped our descent at 8000'. The flight proceeded west/O further incident to teb, but we were requested to call ZDC ARTCC, which we did after our arrival. I spoke with the sector supervisor; he was upset that we rogered a clearance we did not understand. I agreed that we should not have, but we thought the second clearance was the same as the first, with no indication from them where or if there was an error. The supervisor indicated the matter would not be carried any further, and we agreed to be more diligent and use proper radio procedures and phraseology. If the ZDC ARTCC controller had said when he realized that there was an error, 'maintain 8000', not 6000',' we would have known what the error was.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CPR MLG FLT CREW GETS DESCENT CLRNC WRONG, BUT CTLR CATCHES THE ERROR BEFORE AN ALT DEVIATION OCCURS.
Narrative: APCHING ARD VOR DSNDING FOR OUR DEST OF TEB, WE WERE CLRED BY ZDC ARTCC TO CROSS ARD AT 9000', THEN MAINTAIN 8000' AND CONTACT NY APCH. THE COPLT READ IT BACK, AS BOTH OF US THOUGHT WE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC TO READ: CROSS ARD AT 9000', THEN MAINTAIN 6000'. THE CTLR CAUGHT THE ERROR AND REPEATED THE CLRNC EXACTLY AS BEFORE. THE COPLT AND I THOUGHT WE HEARD THE SAME CLRNC TO CROSS ARD AT 9000' AND MAINTAIN 6000'. NOT KNOWING THERE WAS AN ERROR, WE THOUGHT THEY HAD NOT HEARD OUR READBACK OR THAT OUR XMISSIONS MAY HAVE BEEN GARBLED. SINCE WE THOUGHT THE CLRNC WAS THE SAME, HE JUST 'ROGERED' THE RECEIPT OF THE CLRNC. WHEN WE CONTACTED NY APCH WE RPTED DSNDING TO 6000', THEY CAUGHT THE ERROR AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 8000'. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE AT 8400' AND STOPPED OUR DSNT AT 8000'. THE FLT PROCEEDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT TO TEB, BUT WE WERE REQUESTED TO CALL ZDC ARTCC, WHICH WE DID AFTER OUR ARR. I SPOKE WITH THE SECTOR SUPVR; HE WAS UPSET THAT WE ROGERED A CLRNC WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND. I AGREED THAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE, BUT WE THOUGHT THE SECOND CLRNC WAS THE SAME AS THE FIRST, WITH NO INDICATION FROM THEM WHERE OR IF THERE WAS AN ERROR. THE SUPVR INDICATED THE MATTER WOULD NOT BE CARRIED ANY FURTHER, AND WE AGREED TO BE MORE DILIGENT AND USE PROPER RADIO PROCS AND PHRASEOLOGY. IF THE ZDC ARTCC CTLR HAD SAID WHEN HE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR, 'MAINTAIN 8000', NOT 6000',' WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT THE ERROR WAS.
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.