Narrative:

Altitude: 4000 ft. ATC facility: kin approach. Location: 17 DME from mly VOR on one arrival. I am the captain reporting and the PNF. The event took place at XA00Z, frequency 120.6. Initial clearance by center was, elser 1 arrival, intersection/STAR/handoff to approach. As we approached radok intersection, received clearance we understood to be, cleared elser 1 arrival, VOR DME runway 12 approach, descend to 7000 ft. We then intercepted the 17 mi DME arc and executed the STAR, including stepdown altitudes to 5000 ft and 4000 ft per the STAR. Approach called and asked our DME from mly VOR. We replied 17 DME at 4000 ft on the arc. Approach came right back with, you should be at 7000 ft. We were just about to intercept the inbound course for runway 12 VOR DME approach. We understood we were cleared for the arrival and VOR DME approach to runway 12. Do you want us back at 7000? Approach then came back with, cleared for approach to runway 12, expect circle to land runway 30, report left downwind to runway 30. I guess the misunderstanding was whether or not we were actually cleared for the approach. We thought we were. The controller seemed surprised at both our position and our altitude. He had just cleared air carrier Y for takeoff from runway 30 at the same time we were turning inbound for runway 12. I had been into kin several times in the last month and had received the same clearance and didn't expect or notice anything different this time into kin until the controller questioned our altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC BELIEVED THE ASSIGNED STAR INCLUDED STEPDOWN ALTS. APCH CTL HAD RESTR THE DSCNT FOR DEPS.

Narrative: ALT: 4000 FT. ATC FACILITY: KIN APCH. LOCATION: 17 DME FROM MLY VOR ON ONE ARR. I AM THE CAPT RPTING AND THE PNF. THE EVENT TOOK PLACE AT XA00Z, FREQ 120.6. INITIAL CLRNC BY CTR WAS, ELSER 1 ARR, INTXN/STAR/HDOF TO APCH. AS WE APCHED RADOK INTXN, RECEIVED CLRNC WE UNDERSTOOD TO BE, CLRED ELSER 1 ARR, VOR DME RWY 12 APCH, DSND TO 7000 FT. WE THEN INTERCEPTED THE 17 MI DME ARC AND EXECUTED THE STAR, INCLUDING STEPDOWN ALTS TO 5000 FT AND 4000 FT PER THE STAR. APCH CALLED AND ASKED OUR DME FROM MLY VOR. WE REPLIED 17 DME AT 4000 FT ON THE ARC. APCH CAME RIGHT BACK WITH, YOU SHOULD BE AT 7000 FT. WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO INTERCEPT THE INBOUND COURSE FOR RWY 12 VOR DME APCH. WE UNDERSTOOD WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ARR AND VOR DME APCH TO RWY 12. DO YOU WANT US BACK AT 7000? APCH THEN CAME BACK WITH, CLRED FOR APCH TO RWY 12, EXPECT CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 30, RPT L DOWNWIND TO RWY 30. I GUESS THE MISUNDERSTANDING WAS WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE ACTUALLY CLRED FOR THE APCH. WE THOUGHT WE WERE. THE CTLR SEEMED SURPRISED AT BOTH OUR POS AND OUR ALT. HE HAD JUST CLRED ACR Y FOR TKOF FROM RWY 30 AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE TURNING INBOUND FOR RWY 12. I HAD BEEN INTO KIN SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH AND HAD RECEIVED THE SAME CLRNC AND DIDN'T EXPECT OR NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT THIS TIME INTO KIN UNTIL THE CTLR QUESTIONED OUR ALT.

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.