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Returning to flight deck, B757 captain is briefed by first officer he acknowledged descent clearance. ZLC questions B757 advising clearance for another air carrier. Returning first officer alleges use of call sign in readback.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 592901 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200309 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : bce.vortac |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 34500 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change descent : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 592901 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 1200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
We were level at FL350 en route from jfk to las. I left the flight deck to use the lavatory. Upon returning, the first officer briefed me that ZLC had cleared us to descend and maintain FL280. The aircraft began an autoplt descent as the first officer left the flight deck to use the lavatory. As the aircraft descended through FL345, the ATC controller asked if we were level at FL350. I replied that we were descending to FL280. The controller advised that we were not cleared to descend and crossing traffic was at our 1 O'clock position at FL330. I disengaged the autoplt and quickly brought the aircraft back to FL350. The aircraft at FL330 was in sight and TCASII indicated that it was at 1200 ft below us. The controller advised that the descent clearance was for another air carrier. The other air carrier flight crew indicated that they did not descend and that the clearance had been taken by someone else. The first officer claimed that he did read back the descent clearance using the full call sign. Since I was not on the flight deck when the clearance was given, the only thing I might have done was to verify the clearance with ATC when I arrived back on the flight deck. This is what I will do in the future, even though it may be construed as a lack of trust in my first officer.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RETURNING TO FLT DECK, B757 CAPT IS BRIEFED BY FO HE ACKNOWLEDGED DSCNT CLRNC. ZLC QUESTIONS B757 ADVISING CLRNC FOR ANOTHER ACR. RETURNING FO ALLEGES USE OF CALL SIGN IN READBACK.
Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT FL350 ENRTE FROM JFK TO LAS. I LEFT THE FLT DECK TO USE THE LAVATORY. UPON RETURNING, THE FO BRIEFED ME THAT ZLC HAD CLRED US TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL280. THE ACFT BEGAN AN AUTOPLT DSCNT AS THE FO LEFT THE FLT DECK TO USE THE LAVATORY. AS THE ACFT DSNDED THROUGH FL345, THE ATC CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE LEVEL AT FL350. I REPLIED THAT WE WERE DSNDING TO FL280. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED TO DSND AND XING TFC WAS AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS AT FL330. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND QUICKLY BROUGHT THE ACFT BACK TO FL350. THE ACFT AT FL330 WAS IN SIGHT AND TCASII INDICATED THAT IT WAS AT 1200 FT BELOW US. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT THE DSCNT CLRNC WAS FOR ANOTHER ACR. THE OTHER ACR FLT CREW INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT DSND AND THAT THE CLRNC HAD BEEN TAKEN BY SOMEONE ELSE. THE FO CLAIMED THAT HE DID READ BACK THE DSCNT CLRNC USING THE FULL CALL SIGN. SINCE I WAS NOT ON THE FLT DECK WHEN THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN, THE ONLY THING I MIGHT HAVE DONE WAS TO VERIFY THE CLRNC WITH ATC WHEN I ARRIVED BACK ON THE FLT DECK. THIS IS WHAT I WILL DO IN THE FUTURE, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE CONSTRUED AS A LACK OF TRUST IN MY FO.
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.