Narrative:

We were inbound on a STAR with a crossing restr of 13000 ft at an intersection. About 2 mi prior to the intersection, the controller called and said to descend to 11000 ft and no speed restr at the intersection. I read back what I thought I heard, and put the altitude in the altitude alerter. Once we were at 11000 ft, the controller asked us to say altitude. I said 11000 ft. They gave me a phone number to call when on the ground. The controller told me that they told me to maintain 13000 ft and no speed restr. I told them I read back 11000 ft. They listened to the tape and told me I read back 13000 ft and not 11000 ft, which I thought I had heard. There were no separation issues because of the descent to 11000 ft. I really don't know what to say to help prevent this in the future. I actually believe I heard 11000 ft and I believe I read back 11000 ft. However, I did not, according to the tapes. What bothers me the most is that I believe I did everything right and yet I was wrong. I can't understand why I would put in an altitude in the alerter that the controllers did not give me. I have flown that STAR more than 100 times and I knew that the next altitude would be 12000 ft then 10000 ft. When I put 11000 ft in the alerter, I said to myself -- that seems odd but the controllers told us to expect a right turn for a visual approach to runway 19R. I thought they must be slow and are trying to get us down early. Therefore, I did not question what I thought I heard. Supplemental information from acn 606098: we were approaching las on the kepec 1 arrival. Center instructed us to cross clarr intersection at 13000 ft but did not issue the normal speed restr or to descend via the kepec 1 arrival. Outside of clarr intersection, we were handed off to las approach control. PF was checking the ATIS on the #1 communication for landing winds. PNF was working approach control on the #2 communication. Passing clarr intersection, PNF dialed 11000 ft into the altitude alerter and advised the PF '11000 ft no speed restrs.' at 11000 ft, the controller asked our altitude. PNF responded 11000 ft, at which time the controller advised us to call them when on the ground. There was no loss of separation with this incident or threat of CFIT. A possible preventive measure would be to issue 'descend via the appropriate tar.' the altitude crossing would then be preprogrammed into the FMC's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW ALTDEV WHEN FO OF AN ARR G-150 ENTERS THE WRONG ALT IN THE ALT ALERTER AFTER XING CLARR INTXN AT 13000 FT ON FREQ WITH L30, NV.

Narrative: WE WERE INBOUND ON A STAR WITH A XING RESTR OF 13000 FT AT AN INTXN. ABOUT 2 MI PRIOR TO THE INTXN, THE CTLR CALLED AND SAID TO DSND TO 11000 FT AND NO SPD RESTR AT THE INTXN. I READ BACK WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD, AND PUT THE ALT IN THE ALT ALERTER. ONCE WE WERE AT 11000 FT, THE CTLR ASKED US TO SAY ALT. I SAID 11000 FT. THEY GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN ON THE GND. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT THEY TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT AND NO SPD RESTR. I TOLD THEM I READ BACK 11000 FT. THEY LISTENED TO THE TAPE AND TOLD ME I READ BACK 13000 FT AND NOT 11000 FT, WHICH I THOUGHT I HAD HEARD. THERE WERE NO SEPARATION ISSUES BECAUSE OF THE DSCNT TO 11000 FT. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO HELP PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE. I ACTUALLY BELIEVE I HEARD 11000 FT AND I BELIEVE I READ BACK 11000 FT. HOWEVER, I DID NOT, ACCORDING TO THE TAPES. WHAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS THAT I BELIEVE I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT AND YET I WAS WRONG. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I WOULD PUT IN AN ALT IN THE ALERTER THAT THE CTLRS DID NOT GIVE ME. I HAVE FLOWN THAT STAR MORE THAN 100 TIMES AND I KNEW THAT THE NEXT ALT WOULD BE 12000 FT THEN 10000 FT. WHEN I PUT 11000 FT IN THE ALERTER, I SAID TO MYSELF -- THAT SEEMS ODD BUT THE CTLRS TOLD US TO EXPECT A R TURN FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R. I THOUGHT THEY MUST BE SLOW AND ARE TRYING TO GET US DOWN EARLY. THEREFORE, I DID NOT QUESTION WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 606098: WE WERE APCHING LAS ON THE KEPEC 1 ARR. CTR INSTRUCTED US TO CROSS CLARR INTXN AT 13000 FT BUT DID NOT ISSUE THE NORMAL SPD RESTR OR TO DSND VIA THE KEPEC 1 ARR. OUTSIDE OF CLARR INTXN, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO LAS APCH CTL. PF WAS CHKING THE ATIS ON THE #1 COM FOR LNDG WINDS. PNF WAS WORKING APCH CTL ON THE #2 COM. PASSING CLARR INTXN, PNF DIALED 11000 FT INTO THE ALT ALERTER AND ADVISED THE PF '11000 FT NO SPD RESTRS.' AT 11000 FT, THE CTLR ASKED OUR ALT. PNF RESPONDED 11000 FT, AT WHICH TIME THE CTLR ADVISED US TO CALL THEM WHEN ON THE GND. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH THIS INCIDENT OR THREAT OF CFIT. A POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE MEASURE WOULD BE TO ISSUE 'DSND VIA THE APPROPRIATE TAR.' THE ALT XING WOULD THEN BE PREPROGRAMMED INTO THE FMC'S.

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.