AN ACR MLG THOUGHT THAT A QUESTION OF ACFT CAPABILITY WAS A CLRNC TO DSND.

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ON DSCNT INTO DCA (FROM BOS); ZDC ASKED IF WE COULD CROSS ATR AT 14000 FT. WE SAID; 'YES.' WE WERE AT FL180 AND DSNDING TO 16000 FT; OUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT. ALSO; WE WERE 20 DME FROM ATR -- WE TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE COULD CROSS AT 14000 WITH NO PROBLEM; AND THAT THE FO READ BACK TO THE CTLR THAT WE WOULD CROSS ATR AT 14000 FT. (WE COULDN'T REMEMBER IF HE CLRED US OR NOT). WE READ BACK THAT WE WOULD BE XING ATR AT 14000 FT WITH NON ADDITIONAL RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. AT 15000 FT AND DSNDING (APPROX 10 DME FROM ATR); THE CTLR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING; WHAT ALT. WE TOLD 14000 FT. HE SAID LEVEL OFF AT 15000 FT. THERE WAS TFC AT 14000 (A FLT OF 3 FGTS). WHEN HE ASKED US WHY WE WERE DSNDING TO 14000; WE SAID WE HAD BEEN CLRED (AT LEAST THOUGHT) TO CROSS ATR AT 14000 FT. HE (CTLR) DIDN'T PRESS THE ISSUE AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 224742: WE RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT WE HAD READ BACK A CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 14000 BY ATR. I WILL NEVER ASSUME A QUESTION TO BE TAKEN AS A NEW CLRNC. I WOULD ALSO EXPECT A CTLR TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN ASKING A QUESTION THAT CONFLICTS WITH A CLRNC.