B757 arrival to sjc is challenged by nct because of early descent.

Attributes
ACN	617881
Time
Date	200405
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjc.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 12600 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	617881
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

While descending towards san jose, ca, we were authority/authorized by oakland control to fly direct to klide intersection and descend to 5000 ft, with the restr of being level at 5000 ft, 5 mi before klide. We repeated this back to ZOA. Afterwards, they xferred us to the north cal approach. We informed them the altitude we had left and the altitude towards which we were descending. When we crossed 5500 ft, approach control requested us to maintain altitude, which we did. After that, they asked us to call them once we landed. We continued the approach and landing without any other comment or incident. When I called, the supervisor asked me if I was the same pilot that had flown on flight XXX last week, since that pilot had done the same thing I had, that he had descended to 5000 ft in an 8000 ft sector. I responded that I was not the same pilot and that I had descended according to the authority/authorized given by ZOA. The supervisor said that he would investigate what had happened and that he did not know at that time, if there would be any official action taken.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 ARR TO SJC IS CHALLENGED BY NCT BECAUSE OF EARLY DSCNT.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING TOWARDS SAN JOSE, CA, WE WERE AUTH BY OAKLAND CTL TO FLY DIRECT TO KLIDE INTXN AND DSND TO 5000 FT, WITH THE RESTR OF BEING LEVEL AT 5000 FT, 5 MI BEFORE KLIDE. WE REPEATED THIS BACK TO ZOA. AFTERWARDS, THEY XFERRED US TO THE NORTH CAL APCH. WE INFORMED THEM THE ALT WE HAD LEFT AND THE ALT TOWARDS WHICH WE WERE DSNDING. WHEN WE CROSSED 5500 FT, APCH CTL REQUESTED US TO MAINTAIN ALT, WHICH WE DID. AFTER THAT, THEY ASKED US TO CALL THEM ONCE WE LANDED. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LNDG WITHOUT ANY OTHER COMMENT OR INCIDENT. WHEN I CALLED, THE SUPVR ASKED ME IF I WAS THE SAME PLT THAT HAD FLOWN ON FLT XXX LAST WK, SINCE THAT PLT HAD DONE THE SAME THING I HAD, THAT HE HAD DSNDED TO 5000 FT IN AN 8000 FT SECTOR. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS NOT THE SAME PLT AND THAT I HAD DSNDED ACCORDING TO THE AUTH GIVEN BY ZOA. THE SUPVR SAID THAT HE WOULD INVESTIGATE WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT HE DID NOT KNOW AT THAT TIME, IF THERE WOULD BE ANY OFFICIAL ACTION TAKEN.

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.