Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 2265; Flight Crew Type 785
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Training / Qualification
Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Procedure; Human Factors
While [we were] cruising at 10;000 FT MSL; contacted Center for vectors to final for the ILS to Runway 5. Both flying and non-flying pilots thought the Controller gave a heading of 305 degrees and a descent to 3;500 FT. Clearance was repeated back to the Controller with no correction to the clearance by the Controller. Aircraft was turned to 305 degrees and a descent started to 3;500 FT. Approaching our assigned altitude the Controller informed us that our assigned altitude was 4;200 FT. Low altitude alert! All too common case of miss communication; if a repeat of a clearance is required by the pilot then the Controller should verify the clearance as correct or incorrect.
A C90 crew read back a Center vector clearance to 3;500 FT so while descending got a low altitude alert and ATC stated they were cleared to 4;200 FT but had not corrected the pilot's 3;500 FT readback error.