Air carrier widebody transport altitude deviation failed to descend as cleared.

Attributes
ACN	186670
Time
Date	199108
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : a523 enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 230
ASRS Report	186670
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

We were filed for FL310 but we received 280 as a final. Around ginny intersection we were skirting the east edge of WX. Isolated thunderstorms were in our path with good visibility. These cells seemed to go up to 300-350. Thus, we needed to deviation. The captain asked for a deviation clearance. I asked for a 20 mi deviation to the left from ny (HF). The radio frequency was very busy and very poor reception. It was a good 5 mins before controller came back with a clearance but it was not what I requested. Our clearance was to descend to FL270 then the deviation was approved. I read something to this effect back but controller corrected me and said after reaching FL270 we were then allowed to deviation. This was no good because this would descend us into WX, we needed higher if anything. I told the captain that we had to descend to FL270 in order to deviation. He was not monitoring the radios. He was very emphatic that he did not want to do that. I asked to stay at FL280 with no deviations or get higher. Controller acknowledged. The captain came under the assumption that everything he asked for had been received. He became 'irate' and took the radio. Another controller came on the frequency and said we were cleared and he needed an immediate descent to FL270 for traffic! The original deviation clearance implied if we wanted to deviation then we must descend to FL270. We descended and continued on our way but I was concerned about not descending immediately upon receiving the initial clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ALT DEV FAILED TO DSND AS CLRED.

Narrative: WE WERE FILED FOR FL310 BUT WE RECEIVED 280 AS A FINAL. AROUND GINNY INTXN WE WERE SKIRTING THE E EDGE OF WX. ISOLATED TSTMS WERE IN OUR PATH WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. THESE CELLS SEEMED TO GO UP TO 300-350. THUS, WE NEEDED TO DEV. THE CAPT ASKED FOR A DEV CLRNC. I ASKED FOR A 20 MI DEV TO THE L FROM NY (HF). THE RADIO FREQ WAS VERY BUSY AND VERY POOR RECEPTION. IT WAS A GOOD 5 MINS BEFORE CTLR CAME BACK WITH A CLRNC BUT IT WAS NOT WHAT I REQUESTED. OUR CLRNC WAS TO DSND TO FL270 THEN THE DEV WAS APPROVED. I READ SOMETHING TO THIS EFFECT BACK BUT CTLR CORRECTED ME AND SAID AFTER REACHING FL270 WE WERE THEN ALLOWED TO DEV. THIS WAS NO GOOD BECAUSE THIS WOULD DSND US INTO WX, WE NEEDED HIGHER IF ANYTHING. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE HAD TO DSND TO FL270 IN ORDER TO DEV. HE WAS NOT MONITORING THE RADIOS. HE WAS VERY EMPHATIC THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT. I ASKED TO STAY AT FL280 WITH NO DEVS OR GET HIGHER. CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED. THE CAPT CAME UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT EVERYTHING HE ASKED FOR HAD BEEN RECEIVED. HE BECAME 'IRATE' AND TOOK THE RADIO. ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON THE FREQ AND SAID WE WERE CLRED AND HE NEEDED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO FL270 FOR TFC! THE ORIGINAL DEV CLRNC IMPLIED IF WE WANTED TO DEV THEN WE MUST DSND TO FL270. WE DSNDED AND CONTINUED ON OUR WAY BUT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT NOT DSNDING IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIVING THE INITIAL 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.