ATC CLRED DH8 TO DSND TO 17000 FT. FLT CREW HEARD DSND TO 7000 FT. CTLR MISSED INCORRECT READBACK.

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WE WERE ON A FLT FROM PDX TO RDD. ABOUT 15 MINS OUT OF PDX WE WERE CLRED DIRECT RDD. N OF MT SHASTA; ZSE GAVE US PLT'S DISCRETION TO 7000 FT. WE READ BACK THE CLRNC. A FEW MINS LATER WE ASKED DIRECT MILAR FOR THE LOC BACK COURSE APCH INTO REDDING AND STATED OUR ALT THAT WE WERE DSNDING OUT OF AND DSNDING TO. SHE STATED THAT THE NEXT CTR WOULD GIVE US THAT CLRNC. WE CONTACTED ZOA AND CALLED OUT OF 14500 FT DSNDING TO 7000 FT. ZOA SAID; 'CONFIRM YOU'RE DSNDING TO 17000 FT; WHAT'S YOUR PRESENT ALT?' WE STATED; '14500 FT.' ZOA THEN SAID; 'DO YOU HAVE THE TERRAIN IN SIGHT?' WE SAID YES AND THAT WE WERE VMC. CTR THEN SAID MAINTAIN 11000 FT. 1) WE BOTH LATER DISCUSSED IF WE COULD HAVE MISINTERPED 17000 FT FOR 7000 FT. WE DEFINITELY BOTH HEARD 7000 FT AND READ BACK 7000 FT; TWICE; TO ZSE. 2) IT WAS VMC; WE COULD SEE OUR FLT PATH TOOK US OVER LOWER TERRAIN TO THE W OF MT SHASTA. OUR FMS CONFIRMED IT. 3) THE REASONS WE DID NOT CHALLENGE THE 7000 FT ALT: WE READ BACK THE ASSIGNMENT TWICE. WE BOTH AGREED WE HEARD 7000 FT. WE WERE VMC AND COULD SEE OUR FLT PATH TOOK US OVER LOWER TERRAIN.