Air carrier flight crew thought that they were assigned FL200 instead of FL220. ARTCC radar controller questioned their altitude assignment while they were descending through FL210, and then cleared them to FL200. Altitude deviation altitude overshot.

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Attributes
ACN	328639
Time
Date	199602
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gsh
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
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 other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	328639
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending past FL210, ATC called to ask our altitude assignment. Crew replied FL200. He said he thought it to be FL220 'but to continue to FL200.' confusion may have been caused by similarity of terms two zero zero and two two zero.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE ASSIGNED FL200 INSTEAD OF FL220. ARTCC RADAR CTLR QUESTIONED THEIR ALT ASSIGNMENT WHILE THEY WERE DSNDING THROUGH FL210, AND THEN CLRED THEM TO FL200. ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT.

Narrative: DSNDING PAST FL210, ATC CALLED TO ASK OUR ALT ASSIGNMENT. CREW REPLIED FL200. HE SAID HE THOUGHT IT TO BE FL220 'BUT TO CONTINUE TO FL200.' CONFUSION MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY SIMILARITY OF TERMS TWO ZERO ZERO AND TWO TWO ZERO.

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.