DC10 settles dispute over clearance to descend below MSA approaching hnl.

Attributes
ACN	438820
Time
Date	199905
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ckh.vortac
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : hnl.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors arrival star : maggi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	438820
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

As we approached hnl on maggi 2 arrival, we were vectored away from traffic and then turned back toward ckh. We were at 10000 ft MSL and we were given frequency change to hnl approach. He gave us heading 230 degrees and descent to 3000 ft MSL. The island of oahu was overcast from our direction. We started down, and as we descended we noticed we were more wnw of normal arrival route. I asked first officer what MSA was from our direction and he said 4200 ft MSL. We asked approach controller about this, and he said that we were only cleared to 8000 ft MSL. We immediately returned to 8000 ft MSL. When we were given heading and descent to 3000 ft MSL, the clearance was read back as given. All 3 heard 3000 ft MSL and further checking with ATC, it was determined that 3000 ft MSL had been given to us and if we had gone down we would have been below 4200 ft MSL, which was MSA for that area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 SETTLES DISPUTE OVER CLRNC TO DSND BELOW MSA APCHING HNL.

Narrative: AS WE APCHED HNL ON MAGGI 2 ARR, WE WERE VECTORED AWAY FROM TFC AND THEN TURNED BACK TOWARD CKH. WE WERE AT 10000 FT MSL AND WE WERE GIVEN FREQ CHANGE TO HNL APCH. HE GAVE US HDG 230 DEGS AND DSCNT TO 3000 FT MSL. THE ISLAND OF OAHU WAS OVCST FROM OUR DIRECTION. WE STARTED DOWN, AND AS WE DSNDED WE NOTICED WE WERE MORE WNW OF NORMAL ARR RTE. I ASKED FO WHAT MSA WAS FROM OUR DIRECTION AND HE SAID 4200 FT MSL. WE ASKED APCH CTLR ABOUT THIS, AND HE SAID THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 8000 FT MSL. WE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 8000 FT MSL. WHEN WE WERE GIVEN HDG AND DSCNT TO 3000 FT MSL, THE CLRNC WAS READ BACK AS GIVEN. ALL 3 HEARD 3000 FT MSL AND FURTHER CHKING WITH ATC, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT 3000 FT MSL HAD BEEN GIVEN TO US AND IF WE HAD GONE DOWN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN BELOW 4200 FT MSL, WHICH WAS MSA FOR THAT AREA.

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.