<< >> NASA ASRS Report 374620, July 1997

Flight crew of an large transport believed that they received and read back a clearance to descend to 5000 ft. ATC subsequently intervened and stopped their descent at 6700 and advised that the clearance was to only 7000 ft.

Attributes
ACN	374620
Time
Date	199707
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6700 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : mmu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 7200 flight time type : 240
ASRS Report	374620
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Heading 360 degrees setting up for ILS runway 27L at ord, controller descended us to 5000 ft which we 'rogered' and repeated back. Passing through 6700 ft controller questioned why we were still descending and we said we were cleared to 5000 ft. At which time he said, 'we were cleared to only 7000 ft.' we repeated that we had acknowledged being cleared to 5000 ft, at which time he raised his voice and said 'climb to 7000 ft.' we immediately climbed back to 7000 ft. The controller (ord approach)) told us we had been cleared to 7000 ft and we repeated that he had cleared us to 5000 ft, which we had set in our altitude window. There appeared to be no conflict at any time. We could not see any other potentially conflicting aircraft visually or on TCASII. The controller soon thereafter descended us and cleared us for the ILS runway 27L and everything else was normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT BELIEVED THAT THEY RECEIVED AND READ BACK A CLRNC TO DSND TO 5000 FT. ATC SUBSEQUENTLY INTERVENED AND STOPPED THEIR DSCNT AT 6700 AND ADVISED THAT THE CLRNC WAS TO ONLY 7000 FT.

Narrative: HDG 360 DEGS SETTING UP FOR ILS RWY 27L AT ORD, CTLR DSNDED US TO 5000 FT WHICH WE 'ROGERED' AND REPEATED BACK. PASSING THROUGH 6700 FT CTLR QUESTIONED WHY WE WERE STILL DSNDING AND WE SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 5000 FT. AT WHICH TIME HE SAID, 'WE WERE CLRED TO ONLY 7000 FT.' WE REPEATED THAT WE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED BEING CLRED TO 5000 FT, AT WHICH TIME HE RAISED HIS VOICE AND SAID 'CLB TO 7000 FT.' WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 7000 FT. THE CTLR (ORD APCH)) TOLD US WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 7000 FT AND WE REPEATED THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO 5000 FT, WHICH WE HAD SET IN OUR ALT WINDOW. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO CONFLICT AT ANY TIME. WE COULD NOT SEE ANY OTHER POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING ACFT VISUALLY OR ON TCASII. THE CTLR SOON THEREAFTER DSNDED US AND CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 27L AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS NORMAL.

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.