Narrative:

First officer was making a PA and the captain received instructions from new york approach, N90, to descend from FL190 to 3000 ft. Captain acknowledged by repeating clearance to 3000 ft. Approaching 13000 ft, new york approach instructed our flight to descend to 8000 ft. First officer acknowledged. We are not sure that we made any errors, but felt that it was likely that the descent should have been to 13000 ft versus 3000 ft. Luckily controller gave us a further clearance to 8000 ft and our error was transparent outside the cockpit. Lessons learned: 1) make PA's prior to high workload environment. 2) verbal communication always includes some degree of error. Wouldn't it be nice to have a data link backup with ATC?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW MISUNDERSTANDS THE CLRNC BUT IS UNAWARE OF THAT FACT UNTIL N90 CTLR ISSUES A NEW CLRNC THAT IS HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUSLY 'ISSUED' CLRNC.

Narrative: FO WAS MAKING A PA AND THE CAPT RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM NEW YORK APCH, N90, TO DSND FROM FL190 TO 3000 FT. CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED BY REPEATING CLRNC TO 3000 FT. APCHING 13000 FT, NEW YORK APCH INSTRUCTED OUR FLT TO DSND TO 8000 FT. FO ACKNOWLEDGED. WE ARE NOT SURE THAT WE MADE ANY ERRORS, BUT FELT THAT IT WAS LIKELY THAT THE DSCNT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO 13000 FT VERSUS 3000 FT. LUCKILY CTLR GAVE US A FURTHER CLRNC TO 8000 FT AND OUR ERROR WAS TRANSPARENT OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) MAKE PA'S PRIOR TO HIGH WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENT. 2) VERBAL COM ALWAYS INCLUDES SOME DEG OF ERROR. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO HAVE A DATA LINK BACKUP WITH ATC?

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.