ATC flight crew miscom clearance. With numerous heading changes and altitude clrncs, either the flig...

Attributes
ACN	337180
Time
Date	199605
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : yip
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other 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 : 19500 flight time type : 13500
ASRS Report	337180
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We left shv with an as filed to yip. When approaching about 150 mi southwest of yip, we were cleared to fwa cruxxz arrival to yip. We changed frequency just after fwa as we tracked outbound on the cruxxz arrival. The new controller asked us where we were going and we explained that we were following our clearance fwa, cruxxz to yip. He immediately changed our clearance to direct ltd cruxxz to yip, so we complied. About 5-10 mi south of ltd, he turned us to a heading of 90 degrees and descend to 9000 ft. We began our descent on that heading. As we were approaching 10000 ft to slo, we were told to turn left to a heading (I don't remember the exact heading), maintain 10000 ft, take over on the approach and contact dtw approach control. I changed frequency to dtw approach and I asked the first officer who was flying if he wanted me to change the VOR from ltd to the ILS to runway 5R at yip and he said yes. After changing the frequency he said he thought that approach controller said intercept the arrival. I immediately retuned his radio to ltd. He started to turn back to the right to intercept the approach east of ltd. We quickly discussed our position and I said not to turn any farther and immediately called dtw approach to verify their intent. He immediately gave us a left turn to 360 degrees and descend to 9000 ft, which we did. I asked him the reason and he stated the turn and descent again and said we had a 3 mi conflict at 10000 ft with another aircraft. A few mins later he called us back and asked us what we were doing at 10000 ft. I explained that we had been originally cleared to 9000 ft but were stopped at 10000 ft, turned to the northeast heading, told to take over on the approach and call dtw approach. The flight was completed without further incident. We were returning part 91 to yip and had been on duty approximately 16 1/2 hours. I apparently misunderstood the clearance and the controller who gave it to me did not catch the error.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC FLC MISCOM CLRNC. WITH NUMEROUS HDG CHANGES AND ALT CLRNCS, EITHER THE FLC MISUNDERSTOOD OR THERE WAS A COORD PROB AT TRACON. RESULTED IN LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: WE LEFT SHV WITH AN AS FILED TO YIP. WHEN APCHING ABOUT 150 MI SW OF YIP, WE WERE CLRED TO FWA CRUXXZ ARR TO YIP. WE CHANGED FREQ JUST AFTER FWA AS WE TRACKED OUTBOUND ON THE CRUXXZ ARR. THE NEW CTLR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING AND WE EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING OUR CLRNC FWA, CRUXXZ TO YIP. HE IMMEDIATELY CHANGED OUR CLRNC TO DIRECT LTD CRUXXZ TO YIP, SO WE COMPLIED. ABOUT 5-10 MI S OF LTD, HE TURNED US TO A HDG OF 90 DEGS AND DSND TO 9000 FT. WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT ON THAT HDG. AS WE WERE APCHING 10000 FT TO SLO, WE WERE TOLD TO TURN L TO A HDG (I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT HDG), MAINTAIN 10000 FT, TAKE OVER ON THE APCH AND CONTACT DTW APCH CTL. I CHANGED FREQ TO DTW APCH AND I ASKED THE FO WHO WAS FLYING IF HE WANTED ME TO CHANGE THE VOR FROM LTD TO THE ILS TO RWY 5R AT YIP AND HE SAID YES. AFTER CHANGING THE FREQ HE SAID HE THOUGHT THAT APCH CTLR SAID INTERCEPT THE ARR. I IMMEDIATELY RETUNED HIS RADIO TO LTD. HE STARTED TO TURN BACK TO THE R TO INTERCEPT THE APCH E OF LTD. WE QUICKLY DISCUSSED OUR POS AND I SAID NOT TO TURN ANY FARTHER AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED DTW APCH TO VERIFY THEIR INTENT. HE IMMEDIATELY GAVE US A L TURN TO 360 DEGS AND DSND TO 9000 FT, WHICH WE DID. I ASKED HIM THE REASON AND HE STATED THE TURN AND DSCNT AGAIN AND SAID WE HAD A 3 MI CONFLICT AT 10000 FT WITH ANOTHER ACFT. A FEW MINS LATER HE CALLED US BACK AND ASKED US WHAT WE WERE DOING AT 10000 FT. I EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD BEEN ORIGINALLY CLRED TO 9000 FT BUT WERE STOPPED AT 10000 FT, TURNED TO THE NE HDG, TOLD TO TAKE OVER ON THE APCH AND CALL DTW APCH. THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WE WERE RETURNING PART 91 TO YIP AND HAD BEEN ON DUTY APPROX 16 1/2 HRS. I APPARENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC AND THE CTLR WHO GAVE IT TO ME DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR.

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.

ATC flight crew miscom clearance. With numerous heading changes and altitude clrncs, either the flight crew misunderstood or there was a coordination problem at TRACON. Resulted in less than legal separation with another aircraft.