B757 crew had altitude deviation in sct class east airspace.

Attributes
ACN	481260
Time
Date	200008
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : kayoh
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	481260
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Controller misunderstanding of altitude clearance. Descending into sna on kayoh arrival, socal approach issued a 185 degree heading for sequence and cleared us to 6000 ft. Standard procedures -- readback/first officer set 6000 ft. We both verified 6000 ft. Descending through 7000 ft, a new controller told us to maintain 7000 ft. We acknowledged and began leveling off. First officer said we'd been previously cleared to 6000 ft. Controller disagreed and said we never cleared you below 8000 ft until kayoh. I asked if a controller change had taken place and he confirmed it had. No harm, no foul. We completed the arrival and approach. I feel a controller change took place with a misunderstanding on controller's part of our previous altitude clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW HAD ALTDEV IN SCT CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: CTLR MISUNDERSTANDING OF ALT CLRNC. DSNDING INTO SNA ON KAYOH ARR, SOCAL APCH ISSUED A 185 DEG HDG FOR SEQUENCE AND CLRED US TO 6000 FT. STANDARD PROCS -- READBACK/FO SET 6000 FT. WE BOTH VERIFIED 6000 FT. DSNDING THROUGH 7000 FT, A NEW CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND BEGAN LEVELING OFF. FO SAID WE'D BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO 6000 FT. CTLR DISAGREED AND SAID WE NEVER CLRED YOU BELOW 8000 FT UNTIL KAYOH. I ASKED IF A CTLR CHANGE HAD TAKEN PLACE AND HE CONFIRMED IT HAD. NO HARM, NO FOUL. WE COMPLETED THE ARR AND APCH. I FEEL A CTLR CHANGE TOOK PLACE WITH A MISUNDERSTANDING ON CTLR'S PART OF OUR PREVIOUS ALT CLRNC.

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.