Narrative:

I was on an instructional instrument flight. There was a solid cloud layer from 500-1500 ft AGL. We filed as a military XXX call sign in order to give base a PIREP of the meridian MOA, and we launched at XA30. After giving the PIREP and shooting the high TACAN to runway 1 at mei, we were executing the missed approach instructions of climbing to 3000 ft on a 010 degree heading. We then contacted approach where they gave us a heading of 250 degrees. It was approximately 45 mins into the flight. I was talking on the integrated communication system when approach called. I missed the original call sign, but I heard approach say, 'descend and maintain 2000 ft.' the pilot at the controls then responded 'roger, military XXX out of 3000 ft for 2000 ft.' nothing seemed out of the ordinary, because it was approximately the point in the box pattern where a descent to 2000 ft usually comes and there was no response from approach to indicate that our readback was incorrect. I then heard approach tell a cessna, 'cessna (I can't recall the call sign), traffic is a T-45 at your left 9 O'clock position at 3000 ft.' I knew that there were 3 other flts in the ILS pattern besides us. I didn't recall any other T-45's in the pattern, so I figured we were the T-45 approach was referring to. I made a call on the integrated communication system and the pilot at the controls leveled off at 2400 ft. Right then approach came up and said, 'military XXX you are supposed to be at 3000 ft.' the pilot at the controls responded with, 'you gave me a descent to 2000 ft and I acknowledged that.' approach then responded with 'no I didn't....' he had cut himself off and we were back at 3000 ft within seconds and saw no other aircraft within our vicinity. Nothing else was said about it for the rest of the flight. There were several aircraft on frequency with the controller and one of the flts seemed to be taking up much of the controller's time. Again, I was expecting a descent to 2000 ft, so there was no reason for me to think anything was awry. In the aim, it states that a controller must ensure that a readback by the pilot is correct and if incorrect, make corrections as appropriate. I know these people are busy and the fact that there is so many training flts going on with struggling students doesn't help matters either. But, it would be nice for the controllers to listen up for and correct any incorrect calls on a readback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 MIL PLTS DSND TO LOWER ALT WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL INST FLT. THERE WAS A SOLID CLOUD LAYER FROM 500-1500 FT AGL. WE FILED AS A MIL XXX CALL SIGN IN ORDER TO GIVE BASE A PIREP OF THE MERIDIAN MOA, AND WE LAUNCHED AT XA30. AFTER GIVING THE PIREP AND SHOOTING THE HIGH TACAN TO RWY 1 AT MEI, WE WERE EXECUTING THE MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS OF CLBING TO 3000 FT ON A 010 DEG HDG. WE THEN CONTACTED APCH WHERE THEY GAVE US A HDG OF 250 DEGS. IT WAS APPROX 45 MINS INTO THE FLT. I WAS TALKING ON THE INTEGRATED COM SYS WHEN APCH CALLED. I MISSED THE ORIGINAL CALL SIGN, BUT I HEARD APCH SAY, 'DSND AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT.' THE PLT AT THE CTLS THEN RESPONDED 'ROGER, MIL XXX OUT OF 3000 FT FOR 2000 FT.' NOTHING SEEMED OUT OF THE ORDINARY, BECAUSE IT WAS APPROX THE POINT IN THE BOX PATTERN WHERE A DSCNT TO 2000 FT USUALLY COMES AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM APCH TO INDICATE THAT OUR READBACK WAS INCORRECT. I THEN HEARD APCH TELL A CESSNA, 'CESSNA (I CAN'T RECALL THE CALL SIGN), TFC IS A T-45 AT YOUR L 9 O'CLOCK POS AT 3000 FT.' I KNEW THAT THERE WERE 3 OTHER FLTS IN THE ILS PATTERN BESIDES US. I DIDN'T RECALL ANY OTHER T-45'S IN THE PATTERN, SO I FIGURED WE WERE THE T-45 APCH WAS REFERRING TO. I MADE A CALL ON THE INTEGRATED COM SYS AND THE PLT AT THE CTLS LEVELED OFF AT 2400 FT. RIGHT THEN APCH CAME UP AND SAID, 'MIL XXX YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 3000 FT.' THE PLT AT THE CTLS RESPONDED WITH, 'YOU GAVE ME A DSCNT TO 2000 FT AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT.' APCH THEN RESPONDED WITH 'NO I DIDN'T....' HE HAD CUT HIMSELF OFF AND WE WERE BACK AT 3000 FT WITHIN SECONDS AND SAW NO OTHER ACFT WITHIN OUR VICINITY. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID ABOUT IT FOR THE REST OF THE FLT. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT ON FREQ WITH THE CTLR AND ONE OF THE FLTS SEEMED TO BE TAKING UP MUCH OF THE CTLR'S TIME. AGAIN, I WAS EXPECTING A DSCNT TO 2000 FT, SO THERE WAS NO REASON FOR ME TO THINK ANYTHING WAS AWRY. IN THE AIM, IT STATES THAT A CTLR MUST ENSURE THAT A READBACK BY THE PLT IS CORRECT AND IF INCORRECT, MAKE CORRECTIONS AS APPROPRIATE. I KNOW THESE PEOPLE ARE BUSY AND THE FACT THAT THERE IS SO MANY TRAINING FLTS GOING ON WITH STRUGGLING STUDENTS DOESN'T HELP MATTERS EITHER. BUT, IT WOULD BE NICE FOR THE CTLRS TO LISTEN UP FOR AND CORRECT ANY INCORRECT CALLS ON A READBACK.

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.