<< >> NASA ASRS Report 316760, September 1995

Air carrier flight crew may have misunderstood the descent clearance. Altitude deviation from descent clearance clearance altitude overshot.

Attributes
ACN	316760
Time
Date	199509
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6300 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : las
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	316760
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer and myself were flying a flight from msp to las. Las approach control cleared us to slow to 220 KTS and to descend to 5000 ft. While descending through approximately 6400 ft, approach control asked us our altitude. We responded 'out of 6300 ft for 5000 ft. We were then told that we had been only cleared to descend to 8000 ft. Both first officer and myself clearly heard a clearance to 5000 ft. No conflict or loss of separation occurred. Terrain clearance was not a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE DSCNT CLRNC. ALTDEV FROM DSCNT CLRNC CLRNC ALT OVERSHOT.

Narrative: FO AND MYSELF WERE FLYING A FLT FROM MSP TO LAS. LAS APCH CTL CLRED US TO SLOW TO 220 KTS AND TO DSND TO 5000 FT. WHILE DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 6400 FT, APCH CTL ASKED US OUR ALT. WE RESPONDED 'OUT OF 6300 FT FOR 5000 FT. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT WE HAD BEEN ONLY CLRED TO DSND TO 8000 FT. BOTH FO AND MYSELF CLRLY HEARD A CLRNC TO 5000 FT. NO CONFLICT OR LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED. TERRAIN CLRNC WAS NOT A FACTOR.

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.