Narrative:

On norwich 2 STAR arrival into bos, ZNY controllers changed altitude crossing requirement at newes intersection and told us to keep our speed up to 310 KTS or better. We were handed off to ZBW and told to descend and maintain 16000 ft. During descent the first officer did the prelndg checklist complete with bos ILS runway 4R briefing and made a PA to the passenger. The first officer was out of the communication loop during the PA. During that time ZBW pulled our flight off the STAR routing and cleared us direct to the pvd VOR at XXXX ft and 250 KTS. I read back cross pvd at 10000 ft and 250 KTS cleared direct. The center controller didn't reply back. After the passenger PA the first officer returned to the communication loop, I advised him of the new clearance. During descent we reprogrammed FMC to the new clearance. During descent ZBW then deleted the speed at pvd VOR and told us to keep up our speed and after crossing pvd VOR slow to 250 KTS. The first officer read back delete the speed at pvd cross at 10000 ft, then slow to 250 KTS. The center controller didn't reply to the readback. The controller was working and had been working several other aircraft in his sector. We reprogrammed FMC for higher speed. We leveled off at 10000 ft approximately 4 NM west of pvd VOR. At approximately level off the ZBW controller said verify 11000 ft. We said no we were assigned 10000 ft. The controller said climb to 11000 ft. We did and leveled off approximately over pvd VOR. We were handed off to bos approach control. Prior to changing frequency we asked the center controller if there was a problem with the 10000- 11000 ft clearance. The controller replied no. Bos approach radar vectored our flight to an ILS runway 04R at bos. I feel that I should have questioned the crossing altitude at pvd VOR with the ZBW controller when he gave me the clearance as the norwich 2 arrival into bos has expect crossing altitude of 11000 ft and 250 KTS at pvd VOR. Because the entire norwich 2 arrival STAR was done differently as published or expected as to altitude xings and my workload was high, I failed to question the clearance as correct because of so many prior changes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 ACFT. ATC FLC MISCOM ON ALT CLRNC. RPTR FLC READ BACK 10000 FT TWICE WITH 2 DIFFERENT CTLRS AND NEITHER CORRECTED THE ALT CLRNC UNTIL THE ACFT WAS AT 10000 FT WHEN THE CTLR QUESTIONED THEIR ALT. THEN, HAD THEM CLB BACK TO 11000 FT WHICH WAS ON THE STAR AS AN EXPECTED XING ALT.

Narrative: ON NORWICH 2 STAR ARR INTO BOS, ZNY CTLRS CHANGED ALT XING REQUIREMENT AT NEWES INTXN AND TOLD US TO KEEP OUR SPD UP TO 310 KTS OR BETTER. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZBW AND TOLD TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 16000 FT. DURING DSCNT THE FO DID THE PRELNDG CHKLIST COMPLETE WITH BOS ILS RWY 4R BRIEFING AND MADE A PA TO THE PAX. THE FO WAS OUT OF THE COM LOOP DURING THE PA. DURING THAT TIME ZBW PULLED OUR FLT OFF THE STAR ROUTING AND CLRED US DIRECT TO THE PVD VOR AT XXXX FT AND 250 KTS. I READ BACK CROSS PVD AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS CLRED DIRECT. THE CTR CTLR DIDN'T REPLY BACK. AFTER THE PAX PA THE FO RETURNED TO THE COM LOOP, I ADVISED HIM OF THE NEW CLRNC. DURING DSCNT WE REPROGRAMMED FMC TO THE NEW CLRNC. DURING DSCNT ZBW THEN DELETED THE SPD AT PVD VOR AND TOLD US TO KEEP UP OUR SPD AND AFTER XING PVD VOR SLOW TO 250 KTS. THE FO READ BACK DELETE THE SPD AT PVD CROSS AT 10000 FT, THEN SLOW TO 250 KTS. THE CTR CTLR DIDN'T REPLY TO THE READBACK. THE CTLR WAS WORKING AND HAD BEEN WORKING SEVERAL OTHER ACFT IN HIS SECTOR. WE REPROGRAMMED FMC FOR HIGHER SPD. WE LEVELED OFF AT 10000 FT APPROX 4 NM W OF PVD VOR. AT APPROX LEVEL OFF THE ZBW CTLR SAID VERIFY 11000 FT. WE SAID NO WE WERE ASSIGNED 10000 FT. THE CTLR SAID CLB TO 11000 FT. WE DID AND LEVELED OFF APPROX OVER PVD VOR. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO BOS APCH CTL. PRIOR TO CHANGING FREQ WE ASKED THE CTR CTLR IF THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE 10000- 11000 FT CLRNC. THE CTLR REPLIED NO. BOS APCH RADAR VECTORED OUR FLT TO AN ILS RWY 04R AT BOS. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE XING ALT AT PVD VOR WITH THE ZBW CTLR WHEN HE GAVE ME THE CLRNC AS THE NORWICH 2 ARR INTO BOS HAS EXPECT XING ALT OF 11000 FT AND 250 KTS AT PVD VOR. BECAUSE THE ENTIRE NORWICH 2 ARR STAR WAS DONE DIFFERENTLY AS PUBLISHED OR EXPECTED AS TO ALT XINGS AND MY WORKLOAD WAS HIGH, I FAILED TO QUESTION THE CLRNC AS CORRECT BECAUSE OF SO MANY PRIOR CHANGES.

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.