Narrative:

En route to sea at cruise FL220; ATC assigned descent to 17000 ft and advised us of a crossing altitude of 12000 ft at oly. He said he was going to give us discretion on descent due to WX and turbulence. I then programmed the FMS for oly at 12000 ft. The ride was poor due to turbulence; the FMS was indicating a 2000 FPM descent at this time to cross oly at 12000 ft. Then ATC gave us a clearance to descend via olympia 6 arrival via the jet arrival. I check the arrival as did my first officer. Both verified oly at 12000 ft at 250 KTS. Selected vto in the FMS and down we went. Once everything was captured and stable; I verified everything again to realize below the note I read there is one for turbojets landing south; cross at or above 17000 ft. Immediately; I deactivated the autoplt and stopped the descent. Called ATC and verified our crossing altitude. He responded by saying the south flow was at 17000 ft. He gave us a new altitude of 12000 ft and let us know to expect this more often; i.e.; the 17000 ft. I questioned him as to his follow-up and he said there would not be any; do not worry about it this time. Now that I have time to think about it; it comes down to I made mistake; and made a couple of assumption based on yrs of doing the same arrival a certain way and missed one of the many notes on that arrival. To make this more confusing in our heads was one of many notices we read due to changes this week. 'The stars for arrival into sea are revised changing the crossing restrs depending on traffic flow. These changes will have all xings at 250 and either 12000 ft or 10000 ft.' please note we also had a few misprints from chart provider this week; so which one was right? Unless we receive clarification; I will request clarification from ATC each time. Then it cannot happen again. As noted above; I thought ATC advised us to expect crossing at 12000 ft. Under current practice I preprogrammed the FMS to match our plan to monitor descent profiles and be ready. While tracking WX; monitoring pilot reports; etc.; trying to make the best ride for the passenger; I also reviewed the oly 6 arrival; one we have seen many times. In review; I verified the 12000 ft crossing restr at 250 and it matched what I expected and did not read on. Everything fit; it was textbook. The next clearance came to descend via the jet arrival and I did; it was all set up; I called it and my first officer verified it. We did everything textbook except reading the note. Under the current changes; it is hard to tell exactly who is on first base. I believe a little clarification is in order. Possibly leaving jets to be jets and let us be turboprops; and if ATC wants us to be higher or faster; let them tell us and we will comply.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TURBOPROP CREW ON DECENT TO SEA RECEIVED CONFLICTING ALTITUDE INFORMATION FROM ATC WHILE ON THE OLYMPIA SIX STAR.

Narrative: ENRTE TO SEA AT CRUISE FL220; ATC ASSIGNED DSCNT TO 17000 FT AND ADVISED US OF A XING ALT OF 12000 FT AT OLY. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO GIVE US DISCRETION ON DSCNT DUE TO WX AND TURB. I THEN PROGRAMMED THE FMS FOR OLY AT 12000 FT. THE RIDE WAS POOR DUE TO TURB; THE FMS WAS INDICATING A 2000 FPM DSCNT AT THIS TIME TO CROSS OLY AT 12000 FT. THEN ATC GAVE US A CLRNC TO DSND VIA OLYMPIA 6 ARR VIA THE JET ARR. I CHK THE ARR AS DID MY FO. BOTH VERIFIED OLY AT 12000 FT AT 250 KTS. SELECTED VTO IN THE FMS AND DOWN WE WENT. ONCE EVERYTHING WAS CAPTURED AND STABLE; I VERIFIED EVERYTHING AGAIN TO REALIZE BELOW THE NOTE I READ THERE IS ONE FOR TURBOJETS LNDG S; CROSS AT OR ABOVE 17000 FT. IMMEDIATELY; I DEACTIVATED THE AUTOPLT AND STOPPED THE DSCNT. CALLED ATC AND VERIFIED OUR XING ALT. HE RESPONDED BY SAYING THE S FLOW WAS AT 17000 FT. HE GAVE US A NEW ALT OF 12000 FT AND LET US KNOW TO EXPECT THIS MORE OFTEN; I.E.; THE 17000 FT. I QUESTIONED HIM AS TO HIS FOLLOW-UP AND HE SAID THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY; DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT THIS TIME. NOW THAT I HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT; IT COMES DOWN TO I MADE MISTAKE; AND MADE A COUPLE OF ASSUMPTION BASED ON YRS OF DOING THE SAME ARR A CERTAIN WAY AND MISSED ONE OF THE MANY NOTES ON THAT ARR. TO MAKE THIS MORE CONFUSING IN OUR HEADS WAS ONE OF MANY NOTICES WE READ DUE TO CHANGES THIS WK. 'THE STARS FOR ARR INTO SEA ARE REVISED CHANGING THE XING RESTRS DEPENDING ON TFC FLOW. THESE CHANGES WILL HAVE ALL XINGS AT 250 AND EITHER 12000 FT OR 10000 FT.' PLEASE NOTE WE ALSO HAD A FEW MISPRINTS FROM CHART PROVIDER THIS WK; SO WHICH ONE WAS RIGHT? UNLESS WE RECEIVE CLARIFICATION; I WILL REQUEST CLARIFICATION FROM ATC EACH TIME. THEN IT CANNOT HAPPEN AGAIN. AS NOTED ABOVE; I THOUGHT ATC ADVISED US TO EXPECT XING AT 12000 FT. UNDER CURRENT PRACTICE I PREPROGRAMMED THE FMS TO MATCH OUR PLAN TO MONITOR DSCNT PROFILES AND BE READY. WHILE TRACKING WX; MONITORING PLT RPTS; ETC.; TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST RIDE FOR THE PAX; I ALSO REVIEWED THE OLY 6 ARR; ONE WE HAVE SEEN MANY TIMES. IN REVIEW; I VERIFIED THE 12000 FT XING RESTR AT 250 AND IT MATCHED WHAT I EXPECTED AND DID NOT READ ON. EVERYTHING FIT; IT WAS TEXTBOOK. THE NEXT CLRNC CAME TO DSND VIA THE JET ARR AND I DID; IT WAS ALL SET UP; I CALLED IT AND MY FO VERIFIED IT. WE DID EVERYTHING TEXTBOOK EXCEPT READING THE NOTE. UNDER THE CURRENT CHANGES; IT IS HARD TO TELL EXACTLY WHO IS ON FIRST BASE. I BELIEVE A LITTLE CLARIFICATION IS IN ORDER. POSSIBLY LEAVING JETS TO BE JETS AND LET US BE TURBOPROPS; AND IF ATC WANTS US TO BE HIGHER OR FASTER; LET THEM TELL US AND WE WILL COMPLY.

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.