Flight on direct course to tpa for visual approach flew over mc dill AFB below 2600'.

Attributes
ACN	110212
Time
Date	198905
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tpa
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 3400
ASRS Report	110212
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Landing at tpa approaching from the south on V35. Cleared to descend to 2600'. Given a heading to steer almost direct tpa from approximately 12 NM south of pie VOR. Our course takes us over mac dill military airport. Approximately 3 mi south of mac dill we were given clearance for a visibility approach to runway 36R at tpa. At the time this clearance was given the captain handling the radios was busy answering some question directed to him by our jump seat rider. He acknowledges receipt of the visibility clearance and sets 1500' on our altitude preselect on the autoplt. I am flying the airplane with the autoplt engaged and we continued descent to 1500' and crossed over mac dill at approximately 1900' MSL on the approach course to runway 26R at tpa. As we cleared mac dill the controller advised us that we were once more cleared for the visibility approach and that we busted the altitude restriction over mac dill. We proceeded and landed at tpa. Later I confronted the captain and asked if we were restr over mac dill, as I never heard the controller restricting us to that altitude. The captain was not sure if we had been restr to 2600' when we were initially cleared for the visibility approach, but stated that it is a standard procedure to maintain 2600' over mac dill. I was flying in fla for my first time, and it was my third day on the line flying to tpa, except the previous times we had landed on runways 18L and right and therefore had never encountered this approach scenario. In this particular incident there was not a conflict of traffic. My suggestion in improving this situation and preventing a similar situation from occurring is to disperse information to more pilots, either through their commercial chart or aim. A simple note on the approach plate for runway 36R would be excellent or more emphasis from the controller on this altitude restriction, and needless to say had I been more experienced in operations in this area, this would not have occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ON DIRECT COURSE TO TPA FOR VISUAL APCH FLEW OVER MC DILL AFB BELOW 2600'.

Narrative: LNDG AT TPA APCHING FROM THE S ON V35. CLRED TO DSND TO 2600'. GIVEN A HDG TO STEER ALMOST DIRECT TPA FROM APPROX 12 NM S OF PIE VOR. OUR COURSE TAKES US OVER MAC DILL MIL ARPT. APPROX 3 MI S OF MAC DILL WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 36R AT TPA. AT THE TIME THIS CLRNC WAS GIVEN THE CAPT HANDLING THE RADIOS WAS BUSY ANSWERING SOME QUESTION DIRECTED TO HIM BY OUR JUMP SEAT RIDER. HE ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF THE VIS CLRNC AND SETS 1500' ON OUR ALT PRESELECT ON THE AUTOPLT. I AM FLYING THE AIRPLANE WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED AND WE CONTINUED DSCNT TO 1500' AND CROSSED OVER MAC DILL AT APPROX 1900' MSL ON THE APCH COURSE TO RWY 26R AT TPA. AS WE CLRED MAC DILL THE CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE ONCE MORE CLRED FOR THE VIS APCH AND THAT WE BUSTED THE ALT RESTRICTION OVER MAC DILL. WE PROCEEDED AND LANDED AT TPA. LATER I CONFRONTED THE CAPT AND ASKED IF WE WERE RESTR OVER MAC DILL, AS I NEVER HEARD THE CTLR RESTRICTING US TO THAT ALT. THE CAPT WAS NOT SURE IF WE HAD BEEN RESTR TO 2600' WHEN WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED FOR THE VIS APCH, BUT STATED THAT IT IS A STANDARD PROC TO MAINTAIN 2600' OVER MAC DILL. I WAS FLYING IN FLA FOR MY FIRST TIME, AND IT WAS MY THIRD DAY ON THE LINE FLYING TO TPA, EXCEPT THE PREVIOUS TIMES WE HAD LANDED ON RWYS 18L AND R AND THEREFORE HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS APCH SCENARIO. IN THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT THERE WAS NOT A CONFLICT OF TFC. MY SUGGESTION IN IMPROVING THIS SITUATION AND PREVENTING A SIMILAR SITUATION FROM OCCURRING IS TO DISPERSE INFO TO MORE PLTS, EITHER THROUGH THEIR COMMERCIAL CHART OR AIM. A SIMPLE NOTE ON THE APCH PLATE FOR RWY 36R WOULD BE EXCELLENT OR MORE EMPHASIS FROM THE CTLR ON THIS ALT RESTRICTION, AND NEEDLESS TO SAY HAD I BEEN MORE EXPERIENCED IN OPS IN THIS AREA, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED.

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.