Flight crew of a super MD80 mistakenly believed that they were cleared to descend from FL310 to 10000 ft. The first officer extended spoilers and went to flight idle in order to get down. ARTCC did not reply to the captain's acknowledgment until they had descended to 12500 ft, at which time ATC said that they were only cleared to 16000 ft. The first officer started to climb back and then ATC cleared them on to 10000 ft.

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Attributes
ACN	400891
Time
Date	199804
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bna
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12500 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	400891
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	400890
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
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:

Location: yocky transition, guitr one. Level FL310 we heard indy clear us to cross groat intersection at 10000 ft. I read back the clearance, no reply from center. First officer started descent with idle power and spoilers. I then tried to contact indy to verify the clearance. Finally we were answered and informed that we were cleared to cross groat at 16000 ft. I informed the center that we were through that altitude and would be correcting back to 16000 ft. Indy said ok, let's make the clearance pilot's discretion to 10000 ft. We proceeded to bna and landed, no aircraft were observed on TCASII.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A SUPER MD80 MISTAKENLY BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE CLRED TO DSND FROM FL310 TO 10000 FT. THE FO EXTENDED SPOILERS AND WENT TO FLT IDLE IN ORDER TO GET DOWN. ARTCC DID NOT REPLY TO THE CAPT'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT UNTIL THEY HAD DSNDED TO 12500 FT, AT WHICH TIME ATC SAID THAT THEY WERE ONLY CLRED TO 16000 FT. THE FO STARTED TO CLB BACK AND THEN ATC CLRED THEM ON TO 10000 FT.

Narrative: LOCATION: YOCKY TRANSITION, GUITR ONE. LEVEL FL310 WE HEARD INDY CLR US TO CROSS GROAT INTXN AT 10000 FT. I READ BACK THE CLRNC, NO REPLY FROM CTR. FO STARTED DSCNT WITH IDLE PWR AND SPOILERS. I THEN TRIED TO CONTACT INDY TO VERIFY THE CLRNC. FINALLY WE WERE ANSWERED AND INFORMED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS GROAT AT 16000 FT. I INFORMED THE CTR THAT WE WERE THROUGH THAT ALT AND WOULD BE CORRECTING BACK TO 16000 FT. INDY SAID OK, LET'S MAKE THE CLRNC PLT'S DISCRETION TO 10000 FT. WE PROCEEDED TO BNA AND LANDED, NO ACFT WERE OBSERVED ON TCASII.

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.