Narrative:

While I was flying, my captain went to communication #2 to notify company of an in-range call. While he was off center frequency, center called and said pilot's discretion to 8000 ft, cross walet at 6000 ft. I repeated this and then put 6000 ft in the altitude alert window. After 4-5 mins, my captain returned and I told her of the new clearance. Once we passed through 8000 ft, we were on another frequency. The controller asked for our altitude and my captain replied 8000 ft for 6000 ft to ATC. Controller told us to expedite through 7000 ft. He then said we were cleared to 8000 ft and told to expect 6000 ft. My captain told the controller that we had been cleared to 6000 ft. The controller said he would check with the other controller. Since we are a 2 man crew, my captain never heard the clearance so she started second guessing me and I started to think maybe I was mistaken. I think descending into a terminal area is a very important time for both crew to be monitoring the frequencys. However, our company policy requires an in-range call 15 mi out. This can, at times, take several mins to complete. I think this is a very unsafe situation. Not just radio but for monitoring traffic, and setting up for approachs. An automatic system should be installed to free the PNF from doing non- essential flight related duties during descent into the approach. Supplemental information from acn 316258: we were subsequently handed off to another center controller. I checked in with our current altitude and the clearance to cross walet at 6000 ft. Center did not correct us. Center instructed us to expedite though 7000 ft to cross walet at 6000 ft. A few mins later he said he'd checked with the previous controller and he thought the clearance was to descend to 9000 ft and to expect walet at 6000 ft. He then handed us off to approach. The corrective action in this situation would be that company not require either pilot to be off the primary frequency for an extended period of time to talk first to operations for gate assignments, aircraft assignment, passenger load, requested aircraft servicing and then to switch to another frequency to contact dispatch for fuel load, alternate airports and to report any mechanical irregularities noted in flight. The 2 crew concept is defeated by this procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC INTERP ACKNOWLEDGED READBACK HEARBACK DISPUTED. ONE PLT ON RADIO FLYING, PIC OFF ON COMPANY RADIO.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS FLYING, MY CAPT WENT TO COM #2 TO NOTIFY COMPANY OF AN IN-RANGE CALL. WHILE HE WAS OFF CTR FREQ, CTR CALLED AND SAID PLT'S DISCRETION TO 8000 FT, CROSS WALET AT 6000 FT. I REPEATED THIS AND THEN PUT 6000 FT IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW. AFTER 4-5 MINS, MY CAPT RETURNED AND I TOLD HER OF THE NEW CLRNC. ONCE WE PASSED THROUGH 8000 FT, WE WERE ON ANOTHER FREQ. THE CTLR ASKED FOR OUR ALT AND MY CAPT REPLIED 8000 FT FOR 6000 FT TO ATC. CTLR TOLD US TO EXPEDITE THROUGH 7000 FT. HE THEN SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 8000 FT AND TOLD TO EXPECT 6000 FT. MY CAPT TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 6000 FT. THE CTLR SAID HE WOULD CHK WITH THE OTHER CTLR. SINCE WE ARE A 2 MAN CREW, MY CAPT NEVER HEARD THE CLRNC SO SHE STARTED SECOND GUESSING ME AND I STARTED TO THINK MAYBE I WAS MISTAKEN. I THINK DSNDING INTO A TERMINAL AREA IS A VERY IMPORTANT TIME FOR BOTH CREW TO BE MONITORING THE FREQS. HOWEVER, OUR COMPANY POLICY REQUIRES AN IN-RANGE CALL 15 MI OUT. THIS CAN, AT TIMES, TAKE SEVERAL MINS TO COMPLETE. I THINK THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE SIT. NOT JUST RADIO BUT FOR MONITORING TFC, AND SETTING UP FOR APCHS. AN AUTOMATIC SYS SHOULD BE INSTALLED TO FREE THE PNF FROM DOING NON- ESSENTIAL FLT RELATED DUTIES DURING DSCNT INTO THE APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 316258: WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTR CTLR. I CHKED IN WITH OUR CURRENT ALT AND THE CLRNC TO CROSS WALET AT 6000 FT. CTR DID NOT CORRECT US. CTR INSTRUCTED US TO EXPEDITE THOUGH 7000 FT TO CROSS WALET AT 6000 FT. A FEW MINS LATER HE SAID HE'D CHKED WITH THE PREVIOUS CTLR AND HE THOUGHT THE CLRNC WAS TO DSND TO 9000 FT AND TO EXPECT WALET AT 6000 FT. HE THEN HANDED US OFF TO APCH. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IN THIS SIT WOULD BE THAT COMPANY NOT REQUIRE EITHER PLT TO BE OFF THE PRIMARY FREQ FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME TO TALK FIRST TO OPS FOR GATE ASSIGNMENTS, ACFT ASSIGNMENT, PAX LOAD, REQUESTED ACFT SVCING AND THEN TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER FREQ TO CONTACT DISPATCH FOR FUEL LOAD, ALTERNATE ARPTS AND TO RPT ANY MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES NOTED IN FLT. THE 2 CREW CONCEPT IS DEFEATED BY THIS PROC.

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.