A B757 first officer (PF) copied a clearance wrong during a heavy workload time. The frequency was c...

Attributes
ACN	332980
Time
Date	199604
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12300 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 17000
ASRS Report	332980
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
ASRS Report	332981
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer flying aircraft in high speed frequency congested situation to cross womac at 13000 ft and 250 KTS. Captain was making arrival PA and attending to flight attendant call when clearance was apparently received to cross 12 NM northwest of logan at 13000 ft and 250 KTS and descent to 12000 ft at logan. First officer heard direct logan, cross 12 mi out at 250 KTS and 12000 ft. Descent was commenced to comply with new restr. At approximately 12500 ft captain came off PA and cabin calls and controller was queried as to clearance. Reply was that was not our clearance but to maintain 12000 ft and meet speed restrs. Problem was 1 pilot doing everything in an intense environment while other pilot was doing public relations. Situation was discovered because clearance seemed odd to 2 experienced pilots. Immediate questioning of controller was timely and no apparent conflict resulted. In a 2-MAN cockpit the diversion of attention of 1 of the pilots should be allowed only under the most placid of flight conditions. Supplemental information from acn 332981: the controller's intention was to reclr us direct logan and to cross 12 NM northwest of logan at 13000 ft and 250 KIAS. I responded back with what I thought I heard, 'cleared direct logan, cross 12 mi out at 12000 ft and 250 KTS.' after quickly updating the FMS, I descended the aircraft almost immediately feeling angry at the controller for revising our clearance so close in to both fixes and quite pressed to meet the new restrs. The captain finished with the PA and I began updating him on what was going on and in the process realized I may have misunderstood this latest clearance. I had been placed in a 'go fast' setting and had planned my course of actions around this. I was fast approaching my objective when at the last min that objective was changed. I was now in a rushed, time compressed situation with no opportunity to affirm the last min change.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FO (PF) COPIED A CLRNC WRONG DURING A HVY WORKLOAD TIME. THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED, SO THE FO BEGAN DSCNT IMMEDIATELY IN ORDER TO COMPLY, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT HE HAD MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC AND WAS DSNDING 1000 FT TOO LOW, TOO SOON.

Narrative: FO FLYING ACFT IN HIGH SPD FREQ CONGESTED SIT TO CROSS WOMAC AT 13000 FT AND 250 KTS. CAPT WAS MAKING ARR PA AND ATTENDING TO FLT ATTENDANT CALL WHEN CLRNC WAS APPARENTLY RECEIVED TO CROSS 12 NM NW OF LOGAN AT 13000 FT AND 250 KTS AND DSCNT TO 12000 FT AT LOGAN. FO HEARD DIRECT LOGAN, CROSS 12 MI OUT AT 250 KTS AND 12000 FT. DSCNT WAS COMMENCED TO COMPLY WITH NEW RESTR. AT APPROX 12500 FT CAPT CAME OFF PA AND CABIN CALLS AND CTLR WAS QUERIED AS TO CLRNC. REPLY WAS THAT WAS NOT OUR CLRNC BUT TO MAINTAIN 12000 FT AND MEET SPD RESTRS. PROB WAS 1 PLT DOING EVERYTHING IN AN INTENSE ENVIRONMENT WHILE OTHER PLT WAS DOING PUBLIC RELATIONS. SIT WAS DISCOVERED BECAUSE CLRNC SEEMED ODD TO 2 EXPERIENCED PLTS. IMMEDIATE QUESTIONING OF CTLR WAS TIMELY AND NO APPARENT CONFLICT RESULTED. IN A 2-MAN COCKPIT THE DIVERSION OF ATTN OF 1 OF THE PLTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED ONLY UNDER THE MOST PLACID OF FLT CONDITIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 332981: THE CTLR'S INTENTION WAS TO RECLR US DIRECT LOGAN AND TO CROSS 12 NM NW OF LOGAN AT 13000 FT AND 250 KIAS. I RESPONDED BACK WITH WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD, 'CLRED DIRECT LOGAN, CROSS 12 MI OUT AT 12000 FT AND 250 KTS.' AFTER QUICKLY UPDATING THE FMS, I DSNDED THE ACFT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY FEELING ANGRY AT THE CTLR FOR REVISING OUR CLRNC SO CLOSE IN TO BOTH FIXES AND QUITE PRESSED TO MEET THE NEW RESTRS. THE CAPT FINISHED WITH THE PA AND I BEGAN UPDATING HIM ON WHAT WAS GOING ON AND IN THE PROCESS REALIZED I MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THIS LATEST CLRNC. I HAD BEEN PLACED IN A 'GO FAST' SETTING AND HAD PLANNED MY COURSE OF ACTIONS AROUND THIS. I WAS FAST APCHING MY OBJECTIVE WHEN AT THE LAST MIN THAT OBJECTIVE WAS CHANGED. I WAS NOW IN A RUSHED, TIME COMPRESSED SIT WITH NO OPPORTUNITY TO AFFIRM THE LAST MIN CHANGE.

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.

A B757 first officer (PF) copied a clearance wrong during a heavy workload time. The frequency was congested, so the first officer began descent immediately in order to comply, only to discover that he had misunderstood the clearance and was descending 1000 ft too low, too soon.