<< >> NASA ASRS Report 391620, January 1998

An air carrier MD80 flight crew descended below their assigned altitude when they misunderstood the assignment and the controller missed the incorrect readback.

Attributes
ACN	391620
Time
Date	199801
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rbv airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	391620
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	391621
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Approaching robbinsville VOR, newark approach advised us to depart rbv on heading 050 degrees to intercept ewr localizer runway 4R and to descend and maintain 5000 ft. A few mins later, after leveling at 5000 ft the controller stated that we were originally assigned 6000 ft, but it was ok to maintain 5000 ft. I told him that I read back 5000 ft very clearly on the earlier transmission. He then gave us other instructions and we continued the approach. The controller was quite busy, but did not give us the impression that the miscom created a problem. Landed uneventfully.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC DSNDED BELOW THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THEY MISUNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT AND THE CTLR MISSED THE INCORRECT READBACK.

Narrative: APCHING ROBBINSVILLE VOR, NEWARK APCH ADVISED US TO DEPART RBV ON HDG 050 DEGS TO INTERCEPT EWR LOC RWY 4R AND TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT. A FEW MINS LATER, AFTER LEVELING AT 5000 FT THE CTLR STATED THAT WE WERE ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED 6000 FT, BUT IT WAS OK TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT. I TOLD HIM THAT I READ BACK 5000 FT VERY CLRLY ON THE EARLIER XMISSION. HE THEN GAVE US OTHER INSTRUCTIONS AND WE CONTINUED THE APCH. THE CTLR WAS QUITE BUSY, BUT DID NOT GIVE US THE IMPRESSION THAT THE MISCOM CREATED A PROB. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.

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.