An air carrier B737-200 flight crew apparently copied an airspeed assignment as the altitude assignment also and descended below the actual assigned altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	432250
Time
Date	199903
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : fnt.vortac
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc artcc : zau.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	enroute airway : j547.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	432250
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 130
ASRS Report	432249
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cruise at FL350. ATC cleared to descend to FL290 and slow to 290 KT speed and change to 126.12. Checked in descending to FL290. Approximately 5 mins later, center informed us we were supposed to be at FL310 and 290 KTS. We were told it was not a problem. Do not recall any distrs at the time. FL290 was set in the altitude alerter and we checked in descending to FL290.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737-200 FLC APPARENTLY COPIED AN AIRSPD ASSIGNMENT AS THE ALT ASSIGNMENT ALSO AND DSNDED BELOW THE ACTUAL ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: CRUISE AT FL350. ATC CLRED TO DSND TO FL290 AND SLOW TO 290 KT SPD AND CHANGE TO 126.12. CHKED IN DSNDING TO FL290. APPROX 5 MINS LATER, CTR INFORMED US WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT FL310 AND 290 KTS. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS NOT A PROB. DO NOT RECALL ANY DISTRS AT THE TIME. FL290 WAS SET IN THE ALT ALERTER AND WE CHKED IN DSNDING TO FL290.

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.