WHEN REVISED CLRNC IS NOT RECEIVED BY THE FLT CREW; THE CTLR QUESTIONS THEIR DSCNT BELOW THE NEWLY ASSIGNED ALT MUCH TO THE DISPLEASURE OF THE CREW.

Narrative

N OF MONTGOMERY; AL; WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT LGC. WE HAD BEEN ON THE LAGRANGE ARR; MERIDIAN TRANSITION TO ATL. 60 DME W OF LGC AT FL330; RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND TO FL240; EXPEDITE THROUGH FL290. PASSING FL290; I ADJUSTED RATE OF DSCNT TO 1000 FPM. WE WERE ADVISED TO EXPECT A TURN IN HOLDING AT LGC. WE WERE AUTH TO REDUCE AIRSPD. WE SLOWED TO 250 KIAS AND ADVISED ATC OF SPD. PASSING FL246; ZTL ASKED US OUR ALT. NEITHER PLT HAD ANY REASON TO THINK ANYTHING WAS WRONG. CTLR STATED THAT HE HAD ISSUED A STOP DSCNT AT FL250; BUT HE ADDED THAT HE DID NOT RECEIVE OUR READBACK. WE HAD FL240 IN THE ALT WINDOW AND NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT A LEVELOFF AT FL250. NO OTHER ACFT WERE SEEN VISUALLY OR ON TCASII. I SUSPECT IT WAS FOR THE LGC HOLDING PATTERN. I EXPEDITIOUSLY FLEW FROM FL245 BACK TO FL250. I CAN ONLY GUESS THAT THE CTLR MAY HAVE INTENDED FL250 ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE WERE SLOWING/ADVISING HIM OF OUR SPD OF 250 KIAS. THE CTLR SEEMED VERY CALM. I; HOWEVER; DID NOT ENJOY THE QUERY. I HOPE TO DO MY PART IN GETTING THE COMS RIGHT NEXT TIME. BTWN FL180 AND FL330; WORDS LIKE 'FLT LEVEL' AND 'KTS' MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE; IE; 'MAINTAIN 250.'