Narrative:

Descending on the arrival 10000 ft 280 KTS instructed by approach control to descend and maintain 7000 ft at a heading of 080 degrees. First officer flying aircraft with autoplt on. First officer started descent out of 10000 ft only to realize he was still at 280 KTS leveled off before losing 50 ft and slowed to 250 KTS. As captain I noted his correction without a word. Soon after giving the descent if not at the same time, (ATC) gave traffic at 12 O'clock at 7000 ft or he may have said 1000 ft below don't quite remember exact words. I was concerned with other traffic noted on TCASII and was keeping an eye on an ATR 42/72 directly below and to my side. After about 3-5 mins (approximately) controller gave us a further slow down to 180 KTS. There was at least 6-8 aircraft on frequency, very heavy radio xmissions. Our next call from the controller was another call to slow to 180 KTS and than a blocked or somewhat blocked transmission that we were supposed to be at 8000 ft. We asked briefly for our altitude and were given a descent to 4000 ft. There was no further conversation about the altitude. We saw no conflict on the TCASII and we were not given any evasive headings. If in fact we missed the 8000 ft call neither one of the pilots felt like it was given to us. Further out on the arrival we were given a crossing restr a little late and had to hurry down using speed brakes. We as a crew had been working quite well as a team and had not noted any problems prior. After landing I initiated a phone call to approach control and was told by the controller that there was no traffic conflict, we just had a communications misunderstanding. If a mistake was made by us in the cockpit we used our carriers standard callouts and always repeated given altitudes and headings. I'm at a loss for an answer. First officer's relatively low time on aircraft could have contributed. There was some confusion on descent and some confusion on which NAVAID to use for arrival. Supplemental information from acn 297120: leveled at 7000 ft MSL and flew heading for approximately 3 mins. Hit wake turbulence of another aircraft. Shortly prior to the incident the radios were busy, we were changing navigation radios and courses and we had traffic visually and on TCASII that we were watching. I didn't feel that we were anywhere close to saturation. If 7000 ft was not assigned by controller, the altitude window must have been changed inadvertently. I'm sure, based on the rest of the rotation, that we set and confirmed the correct altitude at the original descent out of pmk.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC INTERP READBACK HEARBACK PROB. ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN DSCNT.

Narrative: DSNDING ON THE ARR 10000 FT 280 KTS INSTRUCTED BY APCH CTL TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 7000 FT AT A HDG OF 080 DEGS. FO FLYING ACFT WITH AUTOPLT ON. FO STARTED DSCNT OUT OF 10000 FT ONLY TO REALIZE HE WAS STILL AT 280 KTS LEVELED OFF BEFORE LOSING 50 FT AND SLOWED TO 250 KTS. AS CAPT I NOTED HIS CORRECTION WITHOUT A WORD. SOON AFTER GIVING THE DSCNT IF NOT AT THE SAME TIME, (ATC) GAVE TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AT 7000 FT OR HE MAY HAVE SAID 1000 FT BELOW DON'T QUITE REMEMBER EXACT WORDS. I WAS CONCERNED WITH OTHER TFC NOTED ON TCASII AND WAS KEEPING AN EYE ON AN ATR 42/72 DIRECTLY BELOW AND TO MY SIDE. AFTER ABOUT 3-5 MINS (APPROX) CTLR GAVE US A FURTHER SLOW DOWN TO 180 KTS. THERE WAS AT LEAST 6-8 ACFT ON FREQ, VERY HVY RADIO XMISSIONS. OUR NEXT CALL FROM THE CTLR WAS ANOTHER CALL TO SLOW TO 180 KTS AND THAN A BLOCKED OR SOMEWHAT BLOCKED XMISSION THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 8000 FT. WE ASKED BRIEFLY FOR OUR ALT AND WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 4000 FT. THERE WAS NO FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ALT. WE SAW NO CONFLICT ON THE TCASII AND WE WERE NOT GIVEN ANY EVASIVE HDGS. IF IN FACT WE MISSED THE 8000 FT CALL NEITHER ONE OF THE PLTS FELT LIKE IT WAS GIVEN TO US. FURTHER OUT ON THE ARR WE WERE GIVEN A XING RESTR A LITTLE LATE AND HAD TO HURRY DOWN USING SPD BRAKES. WE AS A CREW HAD BEEN WORKING QUITE WELL AS A TEAM AND HAD NOT NOTED ANY PROBS PRIOR. AFTER LNDG I INITIATED A PHONE CALL TO APCH CTL AND WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR THAT THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT, WE JUST HAD A COMS MISUNDERSTANDING. IF A MISTAKE WAS MADE BY US IN THE COCKPIT WE USED OUR CARRIERS STANDARD CALLOUTS AND ALWAYS REPEATED GIVEN ALTS AND HDGS. I'M AT A LOSS FOR AN ANSWER. FO'S RELATIVELY LOW TIME ON ACFT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON DSCNT AND SOME CONFUSION ON WHICH NAVAID TO USE FOR ARR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 297120: LEVELED AT 7000 FT MSL AND FLEW HDG FOR APPROX 3 MINS. HIT WAKE TURB OF ANOTHER ACFT. SHORTLY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE RADIOS WERE BUSY, WE WERE CHANGING NAV RADIOS AND COURSES AND WE HAD TFC VISUALLY AND ON TCASII THAT WE WERE WATCHING. I DIDN'T FEEL THAT WE WERE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO SATURATION. IF 7000 FT WAS NOT ASSIGNED BY CTLR, THE ALT WINDOW MUST HAVE BEEN CHANGED INADVERTENTLY. I'M SURE, BASED ON THE REST OF THE ROTATION, THAT WE SET AND CONFIRMED THE CORRECT ALT AT THE ORIGINAL DSCNT OUT OF PMK.

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.