An air carrier captain on a military charter flight descended to FL385 from FL390 and entered holdin...

Attributes
ACN	804776
Time
Date	200809
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzzz.artcc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 38500 msl bound upper : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzzz.artcc artcc : ltaa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute airway : zzzz.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

I was the relief pilot in the left seat and acting PIC. I was also the PF. Baghdad center had told us to contact ankara while still well in iraqi airspace; as this was normal practice. Shortly ankara control told us they had no flight plan and we were not to enter turkish airspace. I immediately set up a hold and checked holding time while the first officer contacted dispatch via HF radio. I called back to baghdad center to advise them that we were holding south of kaban. I then had the captain call to the cockpit. When the captain entered the cockpit I briefed him on the situation and then he took the left seat and assumed command. Ankara was on the left VHF; baghdad was on the center VHF and the first officer was in contact with stockholm radio on the HF radio. I assumed pilot monitoring duties. The captain then started to descend 500 ft without ATC clearance or telling the other 2 pilots. I called baghdad center and told them we were descending 500 ft. Baghdad immediately told us that would cause conflicts and told us to climb back to FL390. We then climbed back to FL390. The captain said he was concerned about sbound traffic from ankara center. I do not know what the captain was thinking but his unilateral action could have caused traffic conflicts. We were in a radar environment on an established airway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT ON A MILITARY CHARTER FLT DSNDED TO FL385 FROM FL390 AND ENTERED HOLDING AFTER ANKARA ATC REPORTER NO FLT PLAN. BAGHDAD ATC ORDERED CLB BACK TO FL390.

Narrative: I WAS THE RELIEF PLT IN THE L SEAT AND ACTING PIC. I WAS ALSO THE PF. BAGHDAD CTR HAD TOLD US TO CONTACT ANKARA WHILE STILL WELL IN IRAQI AIRSPACE; AS THIS WAS NORMAL PRACTICE. SHORTLY ANKARA CTL TOLD US THEY HAD NO FLT PLAN AND WE WERE NOT TO ENTER TURKISH AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY SET UP A HOLD AND CHKED HOLDING TIME WHILE THE FO CONTACTED DISPATCH VIA HF RADIO. I CALLED BACK TO BAGHDAD CTR TO ADVISE THEM THAT WE WERE HOLDING S OF KABAN. I THEN HAD THE CAPT CALL TO THE COCKPIT. WHEN THE CAPT ENTERED THE COCKPIT I BRIEFED HIM ON THE SITUATION AND THEN HE TOOK THE L SEAT AND ASSUMED COMMAND. ANKARA WAS ON THE L VHF; BAGHDAD WAS ON THE CTR VHF AND THE FO WAS IN CONTACT WITH STOCKHOLM RADIO ON THE HF RADIO. I ASSUMED PLT MONITORING DUTIES. THE CAPT THEN STARTED TO DSND 500 FT WITHOUT ATC CLRNC OR TELLING THE OTHER 2 PLTS. I CALLED BAGHDAD CTR AND TOLD THEM WE WERE DSNDING 500 FT. BAGHDAD IMMEDIATELY TOLD US THAT WOULD CAUSE CONFLICTS AND TOLD US TO CLB BACK TO FL390. WE THEN CLBED BACK TO FL390. THE CAPT SAID HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SBOUND TFC FROM ANKARA CTR. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE CAPT WAS THINKING BUT HIS UNILATERAL ACTION COULD HAVE CAUSED TFC CONFLICTS. WE WERE IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT ON AN ESTABLISHED AIRWAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

An air carrier captain on a military charter flight descended to FL385 from FL390 and entered holding after ankara ATC reporter no flight plan. Baghdad ATC ordered climb back to FL390.