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A widebody transport crew, descending into zbaa (pr china), misinterped clearance, departing assigned altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 532666 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200112 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14763 msl bound upper : 15748 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 532666 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
Controled by beijing control on VHF, tracking A320 wbound to vyk, en route descent to beijing capital. Descending to 4800 meters, passing about 15000 meters beijing control cleared us to 'descend to 4500 meters.' I read this back slowly and distinctly, and controller rogered my readback. (This was about the 4TH or 5TH 300 meter step-down clearance during this descent, the same controller, each subsequent clearance received shortly before reaching previously assigned altitude.) as we leveled at 4500 meters, controller asked us to confirm altitude. I responded 4500 and he directed us to turn left, heading 250 degrees and maintain 4800 meters. We complied. Controller then asked why we had not maintained 4800 meters. I responded that we had been cleared to, and rogered, 4500 meters. Controller did not respond directly, but confirmed we were climbing back to 4800 meters, cleared us direct to vyk, resume own navigation, and handed us off to beijing approach. I am absolutely positive we were cleared down to 4500 meters. The captain agrees.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A WDB CREW, DSNDING INTO ZBAA (PR CHINA), MISINTERPED CLRNC, DEPARTING ASSIGNED ALT.
Narrative: CTLED BY BEIJING CTL ON VHF, TRACKING A320 WBOUND TO VYK, ENRTE DSCNT TO BEIJING CAPITAL. DSNDING TO 4800 METERS, PASSING ABOUT 15000 METERS BEIJING CTL CLRED US TO 'DSND TO 4500 METERS.' I READ THIS BACK SLOWLY AND DISTINCTLY, AND CTLR ROGERED MY READBACK. (THIS WAS ABOUT THE 4TH OR 5TH 300 METER STEP-DOWN CLRNC DURING THIS DSCNT, THE SAME CTLR, EACH SUBSEQUENT CLRNC RECEIVED SHORTLY BEFORE REACHING PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED ALT.) AS WE LEVELED AT 4500 METERS, CTLR ASKED US TO CONFIRM ALT. I RESPONDED 4500 AND HE DIRECTED US TO TURN L, HEADING 250 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 4800 METERS. WE COMPLIED. CTLR THEN ASKED WHY WE HAD NOT MAINTAINED 4800 METERS. I RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO, AND ROGERED, 4500 METERS. CTLR DID NOT RESPOND DIRECTLY, BUT CONFIRMED WE WERE CLBING BACK TO 4800 METERS, CLRED US DIRECT TO VYK, RESUME OWN NAV, AND HANDED US OFF TO BEIJING APCH. I AM ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE WE WERE CLRED DOWN TO 4500 METERS. THE CAPT AGREES.
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.