Narrative:

We were on approach into cak. Talking with cak approach he cleared us down to 4000 ft from 5000 ft and told us to expect visual approach to runway 1 and we read the clearance back to him. We then heard clearance down to 3000 ft, which we also read back to him. (I was the PF, my first officer was working the radios.) at the time there was an air carrier Y on the frequency who was ahead of us on the visual to runway 1. A min or so later, ATC asked us what altitude we were at. We responded 3000 ft. He told us we were cleared to 4000 ft and to expect the visual to runway 1, that the 3000 ft clearance was for air carrier Y. I responded that yes we were cleared to 4000 ft and to expect runway 1, but then we heard cleared down to 3000 ft, which we read back to him also. I asked him if he wanted us back up to 4000 ft, which he said just stay at 3000 ft. I thought as far as radio communication was concerned we followed proper procedure. My first officer and I both heard the same clrncs. I also heard my first officer's responses on the radio. If we had gotten the wrong clearance by reading it back we should have been corrected and weren't. Factors that might have contributed to the possibility that we read back other air carrier's clearance was the flight time from cle-cak. It is a 10-15 min flight which requires a lot of work for the PNF: reading checklists, calling company after departure and in- range, getting ATIS and writing it down, looking up landing speeds, etc. This was also our fourth trip of the day. The occurrence happened at XI40 and we reported to work at XA20 on the third day of a 3 day trip.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMUTER FLC ACCEPTS THE ALT CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACR AHEAD OF THEM WHILE ON RADAR VECTORING TO FINAL AT CAK, OH.

Narrative: WE WERE ON APCH INTO CAK. TALKING WITH CAK APCH HE CLRED US DOWN TO 4000 FT FROM 5000 FT AND TOLD US TO EXPECT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 1 AND WE READ THE CLRNC BACK TO HIM. WE THEN HEARD CLRNC DOWN TO 3000 FT, WHICH WE ALSO READ BACK TO HIM. (I WAS THE PF, MY FO WAS WORKING THE RADIOS.) AT THE TIME THERE WAS AN ACR Y ON THE FREQ WHO WAS AHEAD OF US ON THE VISUAL TO RWY 1. A MIN OR SO LATER, ATC ASKED US WHAT ALT WE WERE AT. WE RESPONDED 3000 FT. HE TOLD US WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT AND TO EXPECT THE VISUAL TO RWY 1, THAT THE 3000 FT CLRNC WAS FOR ACR Y. I RESPONDED THAT YES WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT AND TO EXPECT RWY 1, BUT THEN WE HEARD CLRED DOWN TO 3000 FT, WHICH WE READ BACK TO HIM ALSO. I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED US BACK UP TO 4000 FT, WHICH HE SAID JUST STAY AT 3000 FT. I THOUGHT AS FAR AS RADIO COM WAS CONCERNED WE FOLLOWED PROPER PROC. MY FO AND I BOTH HEARD THE SAME CLRNCS. I ALSO HEARD MY FO'S RESPONSES ON THE RADIO. IF WE HAD GOTTEN THE WRONG CLRNC BY READING IT BACK WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED AND WEREN'T. FACTORS THAT MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE READ BACK OTHER ACR'S CLRNC WAS THE FLT TIME FROM CLE-CAK. IT IS A 10-15 MIN FLT WHICH REQUIRES A LOT OF WORK FOR THE PNF: READING CHKLISTS, CALLING COMPANY AFTER DEP AND IN- RANGE, GETTING ATIS AND WRITING IT DOWN, LOOKING UP LNDG SPDS, ETC. THIS WAS ALSO OUR FOURTH TRIP OF THE DAY. THE OCCURRENCE HAPPENED AT XI40 AND WE RPTED TO WORK AT XA20 ON THE THIRD DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP.

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.