SMA PLT MISHEARS CLRNC; DSNDS BELOW ASSIGNED.

Narrative

I CALLED TAMPA APCH AND TOLD THEM I WAS ABOUT 20 MI SE OF SARASOTA AT 2500 FT; LNDG WITH ATIS. AFTER GIVING ME A CODE TO SQUAWK AND IDENTING ME; TAMPA TOLD ME TO TURN 10 DEGS R TO 340 DEGS AND REMAIN AT OR ABOVE 1200 FT. I THOUGHT THIS WAS UNUSUAL SINCE THERE IS AN 1800 FT TWR IN THE AREA AND IT SEEMED I WAS BEING VECTORED TOWARD IT. I FUDGED A LITTLE ON THE HDG (330 DEGS) TO STAY AWAY FROM THE TWR AND STARTED A DSCNT TO 1200 FT. TAMPA INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN TO 340 DEGS AND A SHORT WHILE LATER ASKED MY ALT. I REPLIED THAT I WAS AT 1700 FT WHEREUPON TAMPA TOLD ME THE ASSIGNED ALT WAS 2100 FT; NOT 1200 FT. I ASKED TAMPA WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO DO; BUT THEIR ANSWER WAS UNCLR. THEY WERE QUITE BUSY. I STARTED A CLB TO 2100 FT; AT 1800 FT TAMPA TOLD ME TO CLB TO 2100 FT IMMEDIATELY AND I COMPLIED. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL AND I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT SARASOTA. PERHAPS I HEARD WRONG; PERHAPS TAMPA MADE A MISTAKE; ONLY THE TAPE CAN TELL. HUMAN ERROR PERSISTS HOWEVER I WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT THE CTLR HAD WANTED ME TO DO; CLB TO 2100 FT; IF HE HAD SAID SO INSTEAD OF JUST INFORMING ME THAT THE ASSIGNED ALT WAS 2100 FT.