F100 flight crew had clearance mixup with ZKC.

Attributes
ACN	443173
Time
Date	199907
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : duc.vor
State Reference	OK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	443173
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Descending from FL350 to FL330, clearance issued from ATC, and understood as given a 270 degree heading. With information from TCASII, we asked for verification from ATC on heading. We were then told that was not a heading, but an altitude, then to maintain FL330 and a heading now of 180 degrees. No traffic conflict noted. Busy ATC, lots of vectoring, speed, and altitude changes occurring at that time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: F100 FLC HAD CLRNC MIXUP WITH ZKC.

Narrative: DSNDING FROM FL350 TO FL330, CLRNC ISSUED FROM ATC, AND UNDERSTOOD AS GIVEN A 270 DEG HDG. WITH INFO FROM TCASII, WE ASKED FOR VERIFICATION FROM ATC ON HDG. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT WAS NOT A HDG, BUT AN ALT, THEN TO MAINTAIN FL330 AND A HDG NOW OF 180 DEGS. NO TFC CONFLICT NOTED. BUSY ATC, LOTS OF VECTORING, SPD, AND ALT CHANGES OCCURRING AT THAT TIME.

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.