Widebody Transport
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 6065; Flight Crew Type 1668
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
Requested digital ATIS 3 times; reply was 'not available'. We inquired on what runways were in use from Denver Center and they responded that they were landing north. The Pilot Flying loaded the Frnch 3 Arrival; ILS 35L. As we were descending via the Frnch 3 Arrival we were given the RNAV (RNP) Z 34R very late in the approach. I loaded the arrival into the FMC and made a mistake on the BOOBU transition. Caught it a few miles prior to HIMOM [and] quickly reentered the approach with the HIMOM transition. I grabbed HIMOM and put it at the top of the legs page. We did not notice the route discontinuity until we were right on top of HIMOM. We were fixing our mistake when ATC said fly heading I believe it was 170 maintain 10;000 feet. [I] reprogrammed [the] MCP and flew as directed. Then we were being vectored for the ILS visual to 34R; descend to 9000 feet; and shortly [thereafter] to 8000 feet. We were descending below 9000 when ATC said we were only cleared to 9000. The remainder of the approach and landing were uneventful.
We were cleared to 9000 feet and then 8000 feet. While intercepting the localizer at 8000 feet the controller said we were supposed to be at 9000 feet. We all agreed that we had been cleared to 8000 and nothing else was said by the Denver Approach Controller. We continued on the approach for a normal landing.
Air carrier flight crew reported a track and altitude deviation occurred on arrival into DEN after receiving a very late clearance for the RNAV (RNP) Z Approach to 34R.