Narrative:

Inbound to cvg on the sweed 5 arrival, ATC cleared us directly to flm VOR. The course was set in the FMS and confirmed. I also watched the captain enter data into the FMS VNAV for crossing at 11000 ft. While I had not heard a clearance to do so, it was on the arrival as an expected crossing restr. Several mins later, the captain deleted the 11000 ft at 15 mi southeast of flm and re-entered the 11000 ft as a crossing restr for flm VOR. The altitude alerter remained set at our current cruise altitude of FL220. Several mins passed until we were approximately 40 NM ese of flm VOR. The captain asked if I was 'on top' of the crossing restr of 11000 ft over flm. I said that I had no knowledge of ATC having issued such a restr and I saw the altitude preselector reading FL220. Nonetheless, the captain called center and advised that we were leaving FL220 for 11000 ft. Center acknowledged our transmission with no complaints or comments, so I set 11000 ft into the altitude preselector and started down. A few mins later, the captain asked me if the altitude preselector had been set to 11000 ft when we advised starting down. I replied that it had been set to FL220 at that time. The whole thing was weird, and I was wrong to assume that when the captain called center to inform them of our descent and ATC had no complaints that meant ATC was ok with the idea and had actually authority/authorized such a descent. I wanted to specifically request clarification and verification of our clearance but did not because of ATC's lack of complaint and the cockpit atmosphere. In the future, I'll ask for that verification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CANADAIR CL65 FAILED TO MAKE ALT XING RESTR DUE MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE DSCNT CLRNC BY ATC AND THAT CALLED FOR UNDER THE STAR PROC.

Narrative: INBOUND TO CVG ON THE SWEED 5 ARR, ATC CLRED US DIRECTLY TO FLM VOR. THE COURSE WAS SET IN THE FMS AND CONFIRMED. I ALSO WATCHED THE CAPT ENTER DATA INTO THE FMS VNAV FOR XING AT 11000 FT. WHILE I HAD NOT HEARD A CLRNC TO DO SO, IT WAS ON THE ARR AS AN EXPECTED XING RESTR. SEVERAL MINS LATER, THE CAPT DELETED THE 11000 FT AT 15 MI SE OF FLM AND RE-ENTERED THE 11000 FT AS A XING RESTR FOR FLM VOR. THE ALT ALERTER REMAINED SET AT OUR CURRENT CRUISE ALT OF FL220. SEVERAL MINS PASSED UNTIL WE WERE APPROX 40 NM ESE OF FLM VOR. THE CAPT ASKED IF I WAS 'ON TOP' OF THE XING RESTR OF 11000 FT OVER FLM. I SAID THAT I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF ATC HAVING ISSUED SUCH A RESTR AND I SAW THE ALT PRESELECTOR READING FL220. NONETHELESS, THE CAPT CALLED CTR AND ADVISED THAT WE WERE LEAVING FL220 FOR 11000 FT. CTR ACKNOWLEDGED OUR XMISSION WITH NO COMPLAINTS OR COMMENTS, SO I SET 11000 FT INTO THE ALT PRESELECTOR AND STARTED DOWN. A FEW MINS LATER, THE CAPT ASKED ME IF THE ALT PRESELECTOR HAD BEEN SET TO 11000 FT WHEN WE ADVISED STARTING DOWN. I REPLIED THAT IT HAD BEEN SET TO FL220 AT THAT TIME. THE WHOLE THING WAS WEIRD, AND I WAS WRONG TO ASSUME THAT WHEN THE CAPT CALLED CTR TO INFORM THEM OF OUR DSCNT AND ATC HAD NO COMPLAINTS THAT MEANT ATC WAS OK WITH THE IDEA AND HAD ACTUALLY AUTH SUCH A DSCNT. I WANTED TO SPECIFICALLY REQUEST CLARIFICATION AND VERIFICATION OF OUR CLRNC BUT DID NOT BECAUSE OF ATC'S LACK OF COMPLAINT AND THE COCKPIT ATMOSPHERE. IN THE FUTURE, I'LL ASK FOR THAT VERIFICATION.

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.