AN ACR DC9 FLC ACKNOWLEDGED XING RESTR ON STAR OF 10000 FT. FLC EXECUTES CLB COMMAND FROM TCASII RA; OBSERVING ACR TFC BELOW. TCASII ACTIONS TAKEN DURING FREQ CHANGE TO APCH CTL.

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ACR X FLT FROM PIT TO DTW FEB/MON/98. CAPT FLYING AND BEING VECTORED BY ATC TO JOIN THE CETUS ARR A FEW MI NW OF THE DRYER VOR. CAPT HEARD INSTRUCTIONS BY ATC TO JOIN THE ARR AND DSND SO AS TO REACH THE CETUS INTXN BY 10000 FT. FO WAS HANDLING THE RADIOS BUT DID NOT HEAR THE CLRNC; SO THE CAPT REPEATED IT TO HIM AND THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED TO ATC THAT ACR X WOULD CROSS THE CETUS INTXN AT 10000 FT. AS THE CAPT EXECUTED THE DSCNT; HE COULD SEE POSSIBLE CONFLICTING ACR Y TFC ON THE TCASII APCHING 5-8 MI IN FRONT OF HIM; SO HE LEVELED OFF ABOVE THE TFC; NEVER REACHING 10000 FT. THE TCASII ISSUED A TA/RA ANYWAY; SO THE CAPT EXECUTED THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE CLBING TO AND LEVELING AT 12000 FT. A FREQ CHANGE FROM ATC TO APCH CTL WAS ISSUED JUST AS THIS WAS HAPPENING. ALTHOUGH 12000 FT IS THE ALT NORMALLY ASSIGNED ACCORDING TO THE DEPICTION ON THE CETUS ARR; THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTION IN THE CAPT'S MIND THAT 10000 FT WAS THE ALT ASSIGNED AND ACKNOWLEDGED BACK TO THE ATC CTLR ISSUING THE CLRNC.