A B767-300ER DSNDS FROM 3000 FT TO 2500 FT WITHOUT CLRNC. FLC THOUGHT THEY WERE CLRED TO A LOWER ALT.

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WE THOUGHT APCH CLRNC HAD BEEN GIVEN AND REPEATED BY COPLT. STARTED DOWN FROM 3000 FT TO 2500 FT XING FIX ON APCH. RELIEF PLT ASKED ABOUT CLRNC WHEN APCH GAVE THE NEXT ACFT 'INTERCEPT APCH COURSE.' CTLR ASKED US ABOUT OUR ALT AND WANTED US TO RETURN TO 3000 FT. WE DID. NORMAL APCH FROM THEN ON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 379916: THE CTLR CLRED US TO INTERCEPT THE APCH COURSE FOR RWY 22L AND I UNDERSTOOD HIM TO SAY INTERCEPT THE APCH FOR RWY 22L. AT APPROX 2600 FT APCH CALLED AND ASKED US IF WE WERE MAINTAINING 3000 FT. I SAID NO; THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE APCH; WHICH I READ BACK AT THE TIME OF CLRNC. HE RESTATED THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO INTERCEPT THE APCH COURSE ONLY AND REQUESTED A CLB TO 3000 FT. I THINK FATIGUE WAS DEFINITELY A FACTOR. THE RELIEF PLT SAID 'ARE YOU SURE THAT WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH?' I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY TAKEN THAT AS A WARNING FLAG BUT DID NOT AS I WAS CONFIDENT OF THE CLRNC AND MY READBACK. NEXT TIME I WON'T BE SO CONFIDENT AND WILL VERIFY. I ALSO WISH THE CTLR WOULD HAVE USED SOME OTHER PHRASEOLOGY. I'M NOT SURE WHAT; BUT SOMETHING NOT QUITE SO CLOSE. HOPE THIS 'LESSONS LEARNED' WILL HELP SOMEONE ELSE!