B727 crew was given several altitude changes by the ZNY radar controller, and was then questioned ab...

Attributes
ACN	519230
Time
Date	200108
Day	Thu
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zdc.artcc
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	519230
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure other

Narrative:

ZID passed us off to another center with frequency change. The new controller (I think it was ZNY) acknowledged our check-in and gave us an altitude change from FL290 to, I believe, FL250, then during descent changed it and had us level at FL270. Then gave us another descent to I believe FL250. We drove in and thought we should be getting lower altitude. I asked for lower on same frequency and the controller acted like he didn't know who we were at all and told us to go to previous frequency. We had been with him quite a while. I went to dca published approach frequency and worked backwards through frequencys until finding ZDC who said they had been looking for us. They turned us west for descent and brought us back over linden VOR on the arrival to dca. The remainder of flight was uneventful. It was an uneasy feeling when the same frequency that descended us then acted like they didn't have anything to do with us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW WAS GIVEN SEVERAL ALT CHANGES BY THE ZNY RADAR CTLR, AND WAS THEN QUESTIONED ABOUT WHY HE WAS ON THE FREQ.

Narrative: ZID PASSED US OFF TO ANOTHER CTR WITH FREQ CHANGE. THE NEW CTLR (I THINK IT WAS ZNY) ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CHK-IN AND GAVE US AN ALT CHANGE FROM FL290 TO, I BELIEVE, FL250, THEN DURING DSCNT CHANGED IT AND HAD US LEVEL AT FL270. THEN GAVE US ANOTHER DSCNT TO I BELIEVE FL250. WE DROVE IN AND THOUGHT WE SHOULD BE GETTING LOWER ALT. I ASKED FOR LOWER ON SAME FREQ AND THE CTLR ACTED LIKE HE DIDN'T KNOW WHO WE WERE AT ALL AND TOLD US TO GO TO PREVIOUS FREQ. WE HAD BEEN WITH HIM QUITE A WHILE. I WENT TO DCA PUBLISHED APCH FREQ AND WORKED BACKWARDS THROUGH FREQS UNTIL FINDING ZDC WHO SAID THEY HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR US. THEY TURNED US W FOR DSCNT AND BROUGHT US BACK OVER LINDEN VOR ON THE ARR TO DCA. THE REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. IT WAS AN UNEASY FEELING WHEN THE SAME FREQ THAT DSNDED US THEN ACTED LIKE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH US.

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.

B727 crew was given several altitude changes by the ZNY radar controller, and was then questioned about why he was on the frequency.