Medium large transport overshot assigned altitude while descending toward dfw.

Attributes
ACN	351660
Time
Date	199611
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ukw airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10300 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 5328
ASRS Report	351660
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4950
ASRS Report	351607
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather
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:

We were descending on the bowie arrival into dfw, level at FL180 and 250 KIAS. Our next clearance was to descend to cross kagel intersection at 10000 ft, expedite through 16000 ft. We replied and then requested deviation to south and west of course for WX, thunderstorms on arrival path. Cleared to deviation as requested. Controller at ZFW asked how far we needed to go before turning back to course. We replied 30-35 mi. ZFW responded in that case proceed direct to glen rose for the glen rose arrival. Captain flying tuned glen rose and turned direct and said descending to 11000 ft -- oh, is it 10000 ft? Looking at altitude set knob, copilot then asked ZFW to verify altitude at kagel. No response from ZFW to question, but directed us to change to ft worth on 127.0. We checked in with 'direct to glen rose, descending to 10000 ft.' at that time we were at 11300 ft. Descending through 10500, ft worth asked our altitude. First officer replied 10300 ft decending to 10000 ft. Ft worth said 'your assigned altitude was 11000 ft, you have traffic 10 mi south climbing to 10000 ft, (pause) descend immediately to 9000 ft.' we responded and expedited to 9000 ft. Time was XX15Z. We then apologized for the confusion and said we checked in with descending to 10000 ft. Ft worth responded, no it's my fault for not catching your check-in, no problem. The cause of the problem was a hearback problem with the clearance and a readback problem with center. We were distraction momentarily by tuning a new VOR and proceeding direct, but when the captain confirmed the descent altitude and saw the confusion, the first officer immediately requested confirmation from center but due to congested frequency was not able to get a reply before the next frequency change. We were still above 11000 ft so we checked in descending to 10000 ft and that was not challenged by the new controller. We should have said 'verify descent altitude of 10000 ft?' to point out the confusion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT WHILE DSNDING TOWARD DFW.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING ON THE BOWIE ARR INTO DFW, LEVEL AT FL180 AND 250 KIAS. OUR NEXT CLRNC WAS TO DSND TO CROSS KAGEL INTXN AT 10000 FT, EXPEDITE THROUGH 16000 FT. WE REPLIED AND THEN REQUESTED DEV TO S AND W OF COURSE FOR WX, TSTMS ON ARR PATH. CLRED TO DEV AS REQUESTED. CTLR AT ZFW ASKED HOW FAR WE NEEDED TO GO BEFORE TURNING BACK TO COURSE. WE REPLIED 30-35 MI. ZFW RESPONDED IN THAT CASE PROCEED DIRECT TO GLEN ROSE FOR THE GLEN ROSE ARR. CAPT FLYING TUNED GLEN ROSE AND TURNED DIRECT AND SAID DSNDING TO 11000 FT -- OH, IS IT 10000 FT? LOOKING AT ALT SET KNOB, COPLT THEN ASKED ZFW TO VERIFY ALT AT KAGEL. NO RESPONSE FROM ZFW TO QUESTION, BUT DIRECTED US TO CHANGE TO FT WORTH ON 127.0. WE CHKED IN WITH 'DIRECT TO GLEN ROSE, DSNDING TO 10000 FT.' AT THAT TIME WE WERE AT 11300 FT. DESCENDING THROUGH 10500, FT WORTH ASKED OUR ALTITUDE. FO REPLIED 10300 FT DECENDING TO 10000 FT. FT WORTH SAID 'YOUR ASSIGNED ALT WAS 11000 FT, YOU HAVE TFC 10 MI S CLBING TO 10000 FT, (PAUSE) DSND IMMEDIATELY TO 9000 FT.' WE RESPONDED AND EXPEDITED TO 9000 FT. TIME WAS XX15Z. WE THEN APOLOGIZED FOR THE CONFUSION AND SAID WE CHKED IN WITH DSNDING TO 10000 FT. FT WORTH RESPONDED, NO IT'S MY FAULT FOR NOT CATCHING YOUR CHK-IN, NO PROB. THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS A HEARBACK PROB WITH THE CLRNC AND A READBACK PROB WITH CTR. WE WERE DISTR MOMENTARILY BY TUNING A NEW VOR AND PROCEEDING DIRECT, BUT WHEN THE CAPT CONFIRMED THE DSCNT ALT AND SAW THE CONFUSION, THE FO IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED CONFIRMATION FROM CTR BUT DUE TO CONGESTED FREQ WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A REPLY BEFORE THE NEXT FREQ CHANGE. WE WERE STILL ABOVE 11000 FT SO WE CHKED IN DSNDING TO 10000 FT AND THAT WAS NOT CHALLENGED BY THE NEW CTLR. WE SHOULD HAVE SAID 'VERIFY DSCNT ALT OF 10000 FT?' TO POINT OUT THE CONFUSION.

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.