Narrative:

My flight was en route to atlanta from orlando. We were arriving on the senca arrival and were at FL230 assigned 310 KTS. The arrival has an expected crossing altitude at husky intersection of 14000 ft. So we were awaiting our descent clearance. Another aircraft center was working had an altitude deviation which controller was correcting. The center was quite busy and the frequency was becoming quite congested. I believe the controller because of the previous altitude deviation got behind and momentarily forgot our flight. We were now approximately 15 mi from husky when center cleared our flight to 14000 ft to cross husky at 14000 ft. We started down immediately and I read back the clearance as given, but also added we would be unable to make the crossing restr. Center replied turn right to 090 degrees which we read back and did - however as he had not given us additional altitude instructions, I asked what altitude he wanted. He replied FL230 - we were passing FL215 at that time - so I said we were out of FL215 - he said level at FL210 which we did. We noticed another aircraft within 6 mi of us on TCASII which he leveled at FL220. I think controller was controling a maximum number of flts when the problem arose with the other aircraft deviating from altitude he focused on clearing that problem, and, thereby when he got back to us to clear us on the arrival to 14000 ft he was unaware how close to the intersection we were. Then when told we were unable to make the 14000 ft by husky, he, turned us away from the arrival but no new altitude instructions. He seemed later to have assumed we would cancel his last descent clearance - which we had understood as a firm clearance even though we would not make 14000 by husky. I think the controller had too many planes to control, and I think he was a very good controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC FLC COM TFC CONFLICT ON DSCNT.

Narrative: MY FLT WAS ENRTE TO ATLANTA FROM ORLANDO. WE WERE ARRIVING ON THE SENCA ARR AND WERE AT FL230 ASSIGNED 310 KTS. THE ARR HAS AN EXPECTED XING ALT AT HUSKY INTXN OF 14000 FT. SO WE WERE AWAITING OUR DSCNT CLRNC. ANOTHER ACFT CTR WAS WORKING HAD AN ALT DEV WHICH CTLR WAS CORRECTING. THE CTR WAS QUITE BUSY AND THE FREQ WAS BECOMING QUITE CONGESTED. I BELIEVE THE CTLR BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS ALT DEV GOT BEHIND AND MOMENTARILY FORGOT OUR FLT. WE WERE NOW APPROX 15 MI FROM HUSKY WHEN CTR CLRED OUR FLT TO 14000 FT TO CROSS HUSKY AT 14000 FT. WE STARTED DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND I READ BACK THE CLRNC AS GIVEN, BUT ALSO ADDED WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. CTR REPLIED TURN R TO 090 DEGS WHICH WE READ BACK AND DID - HOWEVER AS HE HAD NOT GIVEN US ADDITIONAL ALT INSTRUCTIONS, I ASKED WHAT ALT HE WANTED. HE REPLIED FL230 - WE WERE PASSING FL215 AT THAT TIME - SO I SAID WE WERE OUT OF FL215 - HE SAID LEVEL AT FL210 WHICH WE DID. WE NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT WITHIN 6 MI OF US ON TCASII WHICH HE LEVELED AT FL220. I THINK CTLR WAS CTLING A MAX NUMBER OF FLTS WHEN THE PROB AROSE WITH THE OTHER ACFT DEVIATING FROM ALT HE FOCUSED ON CLRING THAT PROB, AND, THEREBY WHEN HE GOT BACK TO US TO CLR US ON THE ARR TO 14000 FT HE WAS UNAWARE HOW CLOSE TO THE INTXN WE WERE. THEN WHEN TOLD WE WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE 14000 FT BY HUSKY, HE, TURNED US AWAY FROM THE ARR BUT NO NEW ALT INSTRUCTIONS. HE SEEMED LATER TO HAVE ASSUMED WE WOULD CANCEL HIS LAST DSCNT CLRNC - WHICH WE HAD UNDERSTOOD AS A FIRM CLRNC EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD NOT MAKE 14000 BY HUSKY. I THINK THE CTLR HAD TOO MANY PLANES TO CTL, AND I THINK HE WAS A VERY GOOD CTLR.

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.