Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory
Human Factors
While we were descending; the Controller told us to turn to 345; descend to four thousand one hundred. The First Officer read that back. I set those numbers. We started our turn and continued our descent. Then at about 6;500 FT the Controller asked if we were descending to 6;000 FT. I leveled off. The pilot not flying (First Officer) said that we were assigned four thousand one hundred. The Controller told us to stop at 6;000 FT. Shortly after that we received a GPWS. We had already started a climb; so we were complying with the GPWS. We were vectored onto the ILS. The rest of the flight was uneventful. There was a communication breakdown. An altitude was either given incorrectly or heard incorrectly. We both thought that we heard 4;100 FT. In talking about it post flight; we wondered if the confusion could have come from the call sign getting jumbled with the altitude and the heading.
On descent we were told to turn left to a 345 heading and to descent to 4;100 FT. On descent around 6;500 FT; approach asked what altitude we were descending to. We responded with 4;100 FT. At 6;000 FT; they asked our altitude and told to maintain 6;000 FT. During level off we received a GPWS alert. We responded to the alert and landed without any other issues. Threat/error in this flight is a possible readback error; or an incorrect descent altitude was given.
The pilots of CRJ-200 were descending to an altitude that they believe they were cleared by ATC. ATC questioned the altitude and the crew received a GPWS alert. The crew leveled off and continued the approach to a normal landing.