FREQ CONGESTION; AND THE MISCONCEPTION THAT THE CREW HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE ARR; LED TO A DSCNT WITHOUT A CLRNC. THE ARR CONTAINS PUBLISHED XING RESTRS 'TO EXPECT;' AND IF THE PF STARTED DOWN BEFORE THE PNF COULD VERIFY CLRNC FOR THE ARR.

Narrative

APPROX 20 MINS FROM LNDG AT SLC; ZLC TOLD US TO EXPECT FL190 IN 3 MINS. THE CAPT WAS FLYING; I INFORMED HIM THAT I WOULD BE OFF ATC FREQ TO GET THE ATIS; AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED. AS I LISTENED TO ATIS I SAW THE CAPT TALKING TO CTR AND SETTING FL190 INTO THE ALT ALERT WINDOW. I FINISHED COPYING ATIS AND TOLD THE CAPT I WAS BACK ON ATC. WE LEVELED AT FL190 AND CROSSED SPANE INTXN ON THE SPANE ARR INTO SLC. THE CAPT THEN SAID; 'SET AND ARM 15000 FT.' I SET 15000 FT IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW AND ASKED HIM IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE SPANE ARR WHICH INCLUDES A PROFILE DSCNT TO VARIOUS ALTS. HE SAID; 'I THINK SO.' I IMMEDIATELY TRIED CALLING ZLC FOR VERIFICATION; BUT THE CTLR AND ANOTHER ACFT STARTED A DISCUSSION ABOUT A TCASII RA THE OTHER CREW WAS FOLLOWING. I WAS UNABLE TO GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE FOR APPROX 30 SECONDS. MEANWHILE; THE CAPT STARTED A DSCNT TO 15000 FT TO COMPLY WITH A XING RESTR ON THE ARR. I FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO ZLC AND ASKED THEM IF WE'D BEEN CLRED FOR THE ARR. THEY SAID 'NO;' TO MAINTAIN FL190 AND THAT SLC APCH WOULD CLR US FOR THE ARR. THEY SWITCHED US TO SLC APCH. I CALLED APCH AND TOLD THEM WE WERE AT 17800 FT; CLBING BACK UP TO FL190. THEY THEN CLRED US TO 17000 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CAPT'S FAILURE TO VERBALIZE CLRNC TO FO AND DELAY I COMMUNICATING WITH ATC.