Narrative:

Practice instrument approach, VOR to hammond, la, airport. Cleared to hammond VOR at 3000' and to report outbnd for procedure turn. Reported outbnd. Told to 'report out of procedure maintain 3000'.' acknowledged clearance. Reported out of procedure turn inbound and were cleared for the approach. The next contact with the controller was his request, 'say altitude.' I reported 'passing 2300.' controller's response, 'you were cleared 'maintain 3000',' I had traffic at 2000'.' we pulled up, but then were cleared to continue our descent since there was no longer a conflict. If I had reported 'leaving 3000',' as I should have, after being cleared for the approach, the controller could have prevented our early descent. There was still a conflict in the instructions since it is difficult to make the approach and maintain 3000'. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: pilot ratings as CFI and another pilot on board who was cfii. Confirmed controller had given maintain 3000' earlier but once reported out of procedure turn controller had cleared aircraft for approach with no further mention of maintain 3000'. Reporter said he did miss reporting out of 3000' which would have alerted controller to problem. Stated there was no loss of sep as other aircraft was not that close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AIRBORNE BETWEEN GA-SMA AND PRECEDING ACFT WHEN CTLR ISSUED APCH CLRNC.

Narrative: PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCH, VOR TO HAMMOND, LA, ARPT. CLRED TO HAMMOND VOR AT 3000' AND TO RPT OUTBND FOR PROC TURN. RPTED OUTBND. TOLD TO 'RPT OUT OF PROC MAINTAIN 3000'.' ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC. RPTED OUT OF PROC TURN INBND AND WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE NEXT CONTACT WITH THE CTLR WAS HIS REQUEST, 'SAY ALT.' I RPTED 'PASSING 2300.' CTLR'S RESPONSE, 'YOU WERE CLRED 'MAINTAIN 3000',' I HAD TFC AT 2000'.' WE PULLED UP, BUT THEN WERE CLRED TO CONTINUE OUR DSCNT SINCE THERE WAS NO LONGER A CONFLICT. IF I HAD RPTED 'LEAVING 3000',' AS I SHOULD HAVE, AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH, THE CTLR COULD HAVE PREVENTED OUR EARLY DSCNT. THERE WAS STILL A CONFLICT IN THE INSTRUCTIONS SINCE IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAKE THE APCH AND MAINTAIN 3000'. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: PLT RATINGS AS CFI AND ANOTHER PLT ON BOARD WHO WAS CFII. CONFIRMED CTLR HAD GIVEN MAINTAIN 3000' EARLIER BUT ONCE RPTED OUT OF PROC TURN CTLR HAD CLRED ACFT FOR APCH WITH NO FURTHER MENTION OF MAINTAIN 3000'. RPTR SAID HE DID MISS RPTING OUT OF 3000' WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED CTLR TO PROB. STATED THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEP AS OTHER ACFT WAS NOT THAT CLOSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.