CLRNC INTERP ACKNOWLEDGED YET FLC CREATED AN ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION IN A DSCNT PROC THAT ANTICIPATED AND USED THE 'EXPECT' XING ALT.

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THIS WILL SCARE ANYONE WHO FLIES FOR A LIVING. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND; OUR DISCRETION; TO FL250 AND (WE THOUGHT) CROSS LAMMA INTXN AT 250 KTS AT 12000 FT. BOTH PLTS HEARD THE ABOVE CLRNC. IN FACT; THE FO; WHO WAS FLYING; SET 12000 FT IN THE AUTOPLT ALT WINDOW AND THEN RESET 25000 FT SO AS TO STAY HIGH LONGER. WE WERE SHOCKED WHEN THE CTLR ASKED OUR ALT WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 24300 FT IN DSCNT. WE WERE SO CONVINCED OF THE CLRNC THAT I REQUESTED A PLAYBACK OF THE TAPE. IMAGINE OUR SHOCK TO FIND THAT THE CTLR SAID TO EXPECT THE LAMMA RESTRICTION AND I READ IT BACK AS IT WAS ISSUED! UNBELIEVABLE! I'M JUST TICKLED THAT THE CTLR CAUGHT IT AFTER WE HAD DSNDED ONLY 500 FT IN A VERY BUSY; VERY NARROW CONGESTED SECTOR. HE PROBABLY PREVENTED US FROM KILLING SOMEBODY! IT IS TERRIFYING TO KNOW THAT THERE IS NO PROC TO COMPENSATE FOR THE TIME WHEN BOTH PLTS SUFFER A MENTAL BLOCK AT THE SAME TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 246367: ZJX CLRED US FOR THE BLITHA 6 ARR; THEN GAVE US 'PLT'S DISCRETION' TO FL250; CROSS LAMMA 12000 FT AND 250 KTS. THAT IS HOW WE READ IT BACK. AT FL245 CTR SAID 'MAINTAIN FL240.'