Clearance miscom. Altitude deviation.

Attributes
ACN	312780
Time
Date	199508
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	312780
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

New first officer during IOE. First officer was getting slow for aircraft's confign. I was trying to let him go as far as I could before correcting him. I heard what I thought was a clearance for us to descend to 5000 ft, we were already cleared to 6000 ft. I acknowledged with our call sign. The controller said nothing. A moment later the controller again cleared 'us' to 5000 ft, this is when I realized that he was talking to someone else. I called him and told him I had grabbed the wrong clearance and had him confirm our clearance of 6000 ft. The controller never picked up on our mis-clearance and simply affirmed us to 6000 ft, which we were above at the time. The first officer tried to level at 6000 ft, our altimeters were 100 ft apart with correct altitude setting. He used his altimeter and eventually got the aircraft level and stable at 5900 ft north his altimeter. My altimeter read 5800 ft. I had him correct to 6000 ft on my altimeter. No conflicts occurred. The call sign of flight who's clearance I picked up had 2 of 3 numbers which were the same as ours. I was thinking about flight instruction and not listening like I should have. Also, I was anticipating a lower altitude clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC MISCOM. ALTDEV.

Narrative: NEW FO DURING IOE. FO WAS GETTING SLOW FOR ACFT'S CONFIGN. I WAS TRYING TO LET HIM GO AS FAR AS I COULD BEFORE CORRECTING HIM. I HEARD WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A CLRNC FOR US TO DSND TO 5000 FT, WE WERE ALREADY CLRED TO 6000 FT. I ACKNOWLEDGED WITH OUR CALL SIGN. THE CTLR SAID NOTHING. A MOMENT LATER THE CTLR AGAIN CLRED 'US' TO 5000 FT, THIS IS WHEN I REALIZED THAT HE WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE. I CALLED HIM AND TOLD HIM I HAD GRABBED THE WRONG CLRNC AND HAD HIM CONFIRM OUR CLRNC OF 6000 FT. THE CTLR NEVER PICKED UP ON OUR MIS-CLRNC AND SIMPLY AFFIRMED US TO 6000 FT, WHICH WE WERE ABOVE AT THE TIME. THE FO TRIED TO LEVEL AT 6000 FT, OUR ALTIMETERS WERE 100 FT APART WITH CORRECT ALT SETTING. HE USED HIS ALTIMETER AND EVENTUALLY GOT THE ACFT LEVEL AND STABLE AT 5900 FT N HIS ALTIMETER. MY ALTIMETER READ 5800 FT. I HAD HIM CORRECT TO 6000 FT ON MY ALTIMETER. NO CONFLICTS OCCURRED. THE CALL SIGN OF FLT WHO'S CLRNC I PICKED UP HAD 2 OF 3 NUMBERS WHICH WERE THE SAME AS OURS. I WAS THINKING ABOUT FLT INSTRUCTION AND NOT LISTENING LIKE I SHOULD HAVE. ALSO, I WAS ANTICIPATING A LOWER ALT 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.