Narrative:

On dec/sun/96 at about XA30 local, my co-captain and I departed the spirit of st louis airport on our flight plan to apa. We climbed to FL390 but the winds were over 100 KTS so we asked for and received clearance to climb to FL410. When we were level at FL410, we asked for direct to goodland, ks, and was cleared direct to centennial airport by ZKC. Along the flight we were cleared by ZDV to centennial airport by the quail arrival to maintain FL410. Since the quail arrival is not in the centennial approach plates, we had to go the den arrival plates to the quail arrival. However, the quail arrival was in the FMS for centennial airport so we pulled the arrival up on the FMS. Then we reviewed the quail arrival and saw that there is an expect crossing altitude of 17000 ft at quail, which we put in the FMS. Later in the flight we were cleared to FL310. We were given a frequency change and told to contact ZDV, which we did. When ZDV came on the radio, he said, 'you are cleared direct quail, quail arrival.' about this time the vertical descent alert came on the FMS. I asked my co-captain if that was permission for us to descend to cross quail at 17000 ft. He said yes, he thought so but that he would ask center, at which time he told ZDV that we were departing FL310. ZDV said, 'roger.' I brought up my TCASII and saw that there was no traffic below us for 7000 ft, and 20 mi, so I pushed the vertical descent mode and down we went. At about FL270, ZDV asked us what we were doing. The co-captain said that we were descending to cross quail at 17000 ft. ZDV cleared us to FL240 and then told us that we did not have clearance to descend and that we should be more careful in the future. The co- captain said that we had called departing FL310. Then ZDV said that maybe he had missed the call but that we should be more careful in the future. Clearly this was no time to argue with ZDV that he had rogered our descent. Also, the term 'roger' only means that he received the transmission, not that he understands the transmission. I can tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking of the old sfo profile dscnts, which required you to make the crossing restr on your own. Also since the vertical descent alert had notified us that it was time to descend, ZDV had rogered the descent, my co- captain had agreed with me, and TCASII showed that it was clear under us, I assumed that I was correct and made a bad decision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORPORATE JET AT FL310 WAS CLRED DIRECT QUAIL AND THE QUAIL ARR TO APA. CAPT MISINTERP THE CLRNC AS A CLRNC TO DSND TO MEET THE 'EXPECT' ALTS SHOWN ON THE ARR PLATE. THE CAPT ADMITS HE WAS THINKING OF THE ARR AS A 'PROFILE DSCNT' AND WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE ARTCC CTLR QUESTIONED HIS ALT.

Narrative: ON DEC/SUN/96 AT ABOUT XA30 LCL, MY CO-CAPT AND I DEPARTED THE SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS ARPT ON OUR FLT PLAN TO APA. WE CLBED TO FL390 BUT THE WINDS WERE OVER 100 KTS SO WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB TO FL410. WHEN WE WERE LEVEL AT FL410, WE ASKED FOR DIRECT TO GOODLAND, KS, AND WAS CLRED DIRECT TO CENTENNIAL ARPT BY ZKC. ALONG THE FLT WE WERE CLRED BY ZDV TO CENTENNIAL ARPT BY THE QUAIL ARR TO MAINTAIN FL410. SINCE THE QUAIL ARR IS NOT IN THE CENTENNIAL APCH PLATES, WE HAD TO GO THE DEN ARR PLATES TO THE QUAIL ARR. HOWEVER, THE QUAIL ARR WAS IN THE FMS FOR CENTENNIAL ARPT SO WE PULLED THE ARR UP ON THE FMS. THEN WE REVIEWED THE QUAIL ARR AND SAW THAT THERE IS AN EXPECT XING ALT OF 17000 FT AT QUAIL, WHICH WE PUT IN THE FMS. LATER IN THE FLT WE WERE CLRED TO FL310. WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE AND TOLD TO CONTACT ZDV, WHICH WE DID. WHEN ZDV CAME ON THE RADIO, HE SAID, 'YOU ARE CLRED DIRECT QUAIL, QUAIL ARR.' ABOUT THIS TIME THE VERT DSCNT ALERT CAME ON THE FMS. I ASKED MY CO-CAPT IF THAT WAS PERMISSION FOR US TO DSND TO CROSS QUAIL AT 17000 FT. HE SAID YES, HE THOUGHT SO BUT THAT HE WOULD ASK CTR, AT WHICH TIME HE TOLD ZDV THAT WE WERE DEPARTING FL310. ZDV SAID, 'ROGER.' I BROUGHT UP MY TCASII AND SAW THAT THERE WAS NO TFC BELOW US FOR 7000 FT, AND 20 MI, SO I PUSHED THE VERT DSCNT MODE AND DOWN WE WENT. AT ABOUT FL270, ZDV ASKED US WHAT WE WERE DOING. THE CO-CAPT SAID THAT WE WERE DSNDING TO CROSS QUAIL AT 17000 FT. ZDV CLRED US TO FL240 AND THEN TOLD US THAT WE DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO DSND AND THAT WE SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE. THE CO- CAPT SAID THAT WE HAD CALLED DEPARTING FL310. THEN ZDV SAID THAT MAYBE HE HAD MISSED THE CALL BUT THAT WE SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE. CLRLY THIS WAS NO TIME TO ARGUE WITH ZDV THAT HE HAD ROGERED OUR DSCNT. ALSO, THE TERM 'ROGER' ONLY MEANS THAT HE RECEIVED THE XMISSION, NOT THAT HE UNDERSTANDS THE XMISSION. I CAN TELL YOU WHAT I WAS THINKING. I WAS THINKING OF THE OLD SFO PROFILE DSCNTS, WHICH REQUIRED YOU TO MAKE THE XING RESTR ON YOUR OWN. ALSO SINCE THE VERT DSCNT ALERT HAD NOTIFIED US THAT IT WAS TIME TO DSND, ZDV HAD ROGERED THE DSCNT, MY CO- CAPT HAD AGREED WITH ME, AND TCASII SHOWED THAT IT WAS CLR UNDER US, I ASSUMED THAT I WAS CORRECT AND MADE A BAD DECISION.

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.