Narrative:

While making an approach to an unfamiliar airport in another country, we descended from our altitude without clearance. The approach controller was extremely hard to understand because of a difficult accent and a terrible radio. We were being vectored by approach to an uncontrolled airport with an elevation of 8500 ft and 6500 ft runway. When we were about 5 mi southeast of the airport at 14000 ft, the controller told us 'to call him when we cancel IFR' and nothing else. Since we were so close to the airport (with a VOR on the field) we set up for a VOR-DME approach. The crossing altitude over the VOR and the holding altitude were both 10000 ft, so we started our descent to 10000 ft. When we were approximately over the VOR descending through 11500 ft for 10000 ft the controller asked our altitude and said we should not have left 14000 ft. At no time did we conflict with other traffic on obstacles. We were VFR in the clear with a broken deck below. Nowhere on the approach plate did it say to maintain 14000 ft, but after looking at the en route chart, the MEA on that airway was 14000 ft. Looking back, I see that the concern about the high elevation airport with a short runway and the difficulty understanding the controller lead to this error. Being dumped for an approach only 5 mi from the airport with no instructions is a clearance I will never accept again in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV UNAUTH ALT CHANGE.

Narrative: WHILE MAKING AN APCH TO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, WE DSNDED FROM OUR ALT WITHOUT CLRNC. THE APCH CTLR WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE OF A DIFFICULT ACCENT AND A TERRIBLE RADIO. WE WERE BEING VECTORED BY APCH TO AN UNCTLED ARPT WITH AN ELEVATION OF 8500 FT AND 6500 FT RWY. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 5 MI SE OF THE ARPT AT 14000 FT, THE CTLR TOLD US 'TO CALL HIM WHEN WE CANCEL IFR' AND NOTHING ELSE. SINCE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE ARPT (WITH A VOR ON THE FIELD) WE SET UP FOR A VOR-DME APCH. THE XING ALT OVER THE VOR AND THE HOLDING ALT WERE BOTH 10000 FT, SO WE STARTED OUR DSCNT TO 10000 FT. WHEN WE WERE APPROX OVER THE VOR DSNDING THROUGH 11500 FT FOR 10000 FT THE CTLR ASKED OUR ALT AND SAID WE SHOULD NOT HAVE LEFT 14000 FT. AT NO TIME DID WE CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC ON OBSTACLES. WE WERE VFR IN THE CLR WITH A BROKEN DECK BELOW. NOWHERE ON THE APCH PLATE DID IT SAY TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT, BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE ENRTE CHART, THE MEA ON THAT AIRWAY WAS 14000 FT. LOOKING BACK, I SEE THAT THE CONCERN ABOUT THE HIGH ELEVATION ARPT WITH A SHORT RWY AND THE DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR LEAD TO THIS ERROR. BEING DUMPED FOR AN APCH ONLY 5 MI FROM THE ARPT WITH NO INSTRUCTIONS IS A CLRNC I WILL NEVER ACCEPT AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

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.