Air carrier crew descends without clearance when cleared for the STAR routing into houston, tx.

Attributes
ACN	476189
Time
Date	200006
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : hoagi
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 21000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : i90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : cugar 6
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	476189
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Asked for descent from FL370 for arrival into iah from mqp, cll, cugar arrival, held up the multiple radar vectors off arrival with step-down dscnts. Finally given clearance for the arrival. Began descent to make crossing restr of 10000 ft and 250 KTS at hoagi. ATC said not cleared for descent -- only arrival routing. Still high on descent profile. Terminology is confusing. When compared to 'cleared for the arrival' which means vertical and lateral constraints on most approachs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW DSNDS WITHOUT CLRNC WHEN CLRED FOR THE STAR ROUTING INTO HOUSTON, TX.

Narrative: ASKED FOR DSCNT FROM FL370 FOR ARR INTO IAH FROM MQP, CLL, CUGAR ARR, HELD UP THE MULTIPLE RADAR VECTORS OFF ARR WITH STEP-DOWN DSCNTS. FINALLY GIVEN CLRNC FOR THE ARR. BEGAN DSCNT TO MAKE XING RESTR OF 10000 FT AND 250 KTS AT HOAGI. ATC SAID NOT CLRED FOR DSCNT -- ONLY ARR ROUTING. STILL HIGH ON DSCNT PROFILE. TERMINOLOGY IS CONFUSING. WHEN COMPARED TO 'CLRED FOR THE ARR' WHICH MEANS VERT AND LATERAL CONSTRAINTS ON MOST APCHS.

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.