Narrative:

On my monthly drill wkend flight, I was plane commander of an spc on a tactical (photo/rigging) evolution. After 4 hours of flying--we flew from just off atlantic city up to NAS brunswick, me--and after being handed off from center to brunswick approach, we were told to maintain 11000'. We did. The next transmission to us I personally did not fully hear, so I questioned my copilot. He said we were cleared to intercept the localizer inbound and cleared visibility approach. Although visibility was more than 50 mi and we saw the field easily, it seemed strange we'd be cleared so far out and so high (25 mi/11000'). The copilot was so emphatic and sure he heard 'cleared visibility' that he was almost convincing to me. I heard intercept localizer, but no altitude change. Tactfully, I told the copilot to call us out of 11000' and dragged the aircraft out of autoplt and inched the aircraft down. We were told to maintain 11000' by approach. Although we may have lost only 200' and quickly gained it back. I learned a valuable lesson. I'll always question altitudes. Regardless of what we thought when there's a dispute. We (copilot and I) were both tired and should have been extra careful. The copilot was embarrassed and apologetic. Possibly by my insisting he x-chk with approach there wouldn't be any embarrassment. The controller didn't seem upset and I know our altitude deviation was a maximum 200', yet hopefully this story may help someone who finds himself in our shoes someday.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL SPC INITIATES DESCENT WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON MY MONTHLY DRILL WKEND FLT, I WAS PLANE COMMANDER OF AN SPC ON A TACTICAL (PHOTO/RIGGING) EVOLUTION. AFTER 4 HRS OF FLYING--WE FLEW FROM JUST OFF ATLANTIC CITY UP TO NAS BRUNSWICK, ME--AND AFTER BEING HANDED OFF FROM CENTER TO BRUNSWICK APCH, WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 11000'. WE DID. THE NEXT XMISSION TO US I PERSONALLY DID NOT FULLY HEAR, SO I QUESTIONED MY COPLT. HE SAID WE WERE CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC INBND AND CLRED VIS APCH. ALTHOUGH VISIBILITY WAS MORE THAN 50 MI AND WE SAW THE FIELD EASILY, IT SEEMED STRANGE WE'D BE CLRED SO FAR OUT AND SO HIGH (25 MI/11000'). THE COPLT WAS SO EMPHATIC AND SURE HE HEARD 'CLRED VIS' THAT HE WAS ALMOST CONVINCING TO ME. I HEARD INTERCEPT LOC, BUT NO ALT CHANGE. TACTFULLY, I TOLD THE COPLT TO CALL US OUT OF 11000' AND DRAGGED THE ACFT OUT OF AUTOPLT AND INCHED THE ACFT DOWN. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 11000' BY APCH. ALTHOUGH WE MAY HAVE LOST ONLY 200' AND QUICKLY GAINED IT BACK. I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. I'LL ALWAYS QUESTION ALTS. REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WHEN THERE'S A DISPUTE. WE (COPLT AND I) WERE BOTH TIRED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXTRA CAREFUL. THE COPLT WAS EMBARRASSED AND APOLOGETIC. POSSIBLY BY MY INSISTING HE X-CHK WITH APCH THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY EMBARRASSMENT. THE CTLR DIDN'T SEEM UPSET AND I KNOW OUR ALT DEVIATION WAS A MAX 200', YET HOPEFULLY THIS STORY MAY HELP SOMEONE WHO FINDS HIMSELF IN OUR SHOES SOMEDAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.