Narrative:

I was flying inbound to gig from mia and had been vectored off course and cleared to descend to 14000 ft. The controller then called and said cleared to descend via the noal arrival and cleared the ILS runway 28 approach; call when established on the localizer. Since our present position allowed us to descend to 13000 ft; I continued the descent to that altitude. At about 13500 ft there was discussion among the pilots that we had not been cleared 'via' the arrival. I climbed back up to 14000 ft and subsequently was given different altitudes and vectors other than what was indicated on the noal arrival. The nearest aircraft to us was about 5 mi away and 5000 ft below us so there was no immediate concern as to the altitude deviation. This is a common problem with brazilian controllers. They get involved with other aircraft and speak in portuguese and it is difficult to confirm whether we are cleared 'via' an arrival or not. In addition; the controller was giving us descent in thousands of ft (14000 ft; 12000 ft; 9000 ft) and altimeter settings but the ATIS said the transition level was 055. The approach plates say that the transition level is set by ATC but then the ATIS says that is 055 or 5500 ft. Supplemental information from acn 701604: transition altitude is 5500 ft. Captain understood cleared to descend via the arrival. We descended to approximately 13500 ft as first officer and relief pilot questioned altitude clearance. We climbed back to 14000 ft and queried controller who then cleared us to 12000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 FLT CREW HAS ALTDEV DURING APCH TO SBGL.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING INBOUND TO GIG FROM MIA AND HAD BEEN VECTORED OFF COURSE AND CLRED TO DSND TO 14000 FT. THE CTLR THEN CALLED AND SAID CLRED TO DSND VIA THE NOAL ARR AND CLRED THE ILS RWY 28 APCH; CALL WHEN ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC. SINCE OUR PRESENT POS ALLOWED US TO DSND TO 13000 FT; I CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO THAT ALT. AT ABOUT 13500 FT THERE WAS DISCUSSION AMONG THE PLTS THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED 'VIA' THE ARR. I CLBED BACK UP TO 14000 FT AND SUBSEQUENTLY WAS GIVEN DIFFERENT ALTS AND VECTORS OTHER THAN WHAT WAS INDICATED ON THE NOAL ARR. THE NEAREST ACFT TO US WAS ABOUT 5 MI AWAY AND 5000 FT BELOW US SO THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE CONCERN AS TO THE ALTDEV. THIS IS A COMMON PROB WITH BRAZILIAN CTLRS. THEY GET INVOLVED WITH OTHER ACFT AND SPEAK IN PORTUGUESE AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONFIRM WHETHER WE ARE CLRED 'VIA' AN ARR OR NOT. IN ADDITION; THE CTLR WAS GIVING US DSCNT IN THOUSANDS OF FT (14000 FT; 12000 FT; 9000 FT) AND ALTIMETER SETTINGS BUT THE ATIS SAID THE TRANSITION LEVEL WAS 055. THE APCH PLATES SAY THAT THE TRANSITION LEVEL IS SET BY ATC BUT THEN THE ATIS SAYS THAT IS 055 OR 5500 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 701604: TRANSITION ALT IS 5500 FT. CAPT UNDERSTOOD CLRED TO DSND VIA THE ARR. WE DSNDED TO APPROX 13500 FT AS FO AND RELIEF PLT QUESTIONED ALT CLRNC. WE CLBED BACK TO 14000 FT AND QUERIED CTLR WHO THEN CLRED US TO 12000 FT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.