Altitude deviation. Also possible erroneous penetration of class D airspace.

Attributes
ACN	294732
Time
Date	199501
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cmh
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3600 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cmh
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SA-226 TC Metro II
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 240
ASRS Report	294732
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 251 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 975
ASRS Report	294928
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approach cleared us to descend to 4000 ft and gave us a heading. We descended out of bases at approximately 6000 ft MSL and shortly thereafter we reported to approach that we had the airport in sight. Approach responded by turning us 30 degrees right and saying that the next controller would have our visual approach clearance. Approach then switched us to the final approach controller. After checking on, controller turned us back 30 degrees left to our original heading and cleared us direct to the airport. The controller also gave us a traffic callout that was at our 3 O'clock position 1000 ft above us moving the opposite direction. I misunderstood our clearance to be cleared for a visual approach and began a very gradual descent. At the time we were only around 10 mi out from the airport of intended landing. The columbus approach controller reported to us that we were 400 ft low and that we had also violated ohio state airport's class D airspace. He then cleared us for the visual approach. An uneventful landing followed and no one instructed us to contact any one at the time regarding the altitude deviation. Ohio state airport is a class D and therefore would only extend 2500 ft AGL -- well below the 3700 ft MSL altitude that we had accidentally descended to. We as a crew allowed ourselves to become distracted by the frequency and heading changes as well as the traffic callout. I now do not turn on the aircraft's landing lights until I have been cleared for the approach (visual or instrument). I also do not turn on the taxi light until I have been cleared to land. I feel that if in approach's clearance of 'proceed direct the airport' they had also included 'maintain 4000 ft' our altitude deviation would not have occurred. Supplemental information from acn 294928: the altitude alert went off in the cockpit and he stated we are cleared the visual and I said ok and then realized I did not remember hearing that clearance, but since I was looking for the traffic I might have missed the call. Just as the thought came to mind to ask the controller, the approach controller asked our altitude and stated we had violated ohio university airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV. ALSO POSSIBLE ERRONEOUS PENETRATION OF CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: APCH CLRED US TO DSND TO 4000 FT AND GAVE US A HDG. WE DSNDED OUT OF BASES AT APPROX 6000 FT MSL AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE RPTED TO APCH THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. APCH RESPONDED BY TURNING US 30 DEGS R AND SAYING THAT THE NEXT CTLR WOULD HAVE OUR VISUAL APCH CLRNC. APCH THEN SWITCHED US TO THE FINAL APCH CTLR. AFTER CHKING ON, CTLR TURNED US BACK 30 DEGS L TO OUR ORIGINAL HDG AND CLRED US DIRECT TO THE ARPT. THE CTLR ALSO GAVE US A TFC CALLOUT THAT WAS AT OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS 1000 FT ABOVE US MOVING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I MISUNDERSTOOD OUR CLRNC TO BE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND BEGAN A VERY GRADUAL DSCNT. AT THE TIME WE WERE ONLY AROUND 10 MI OUT FROM THE ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG. THE COLUMBUS APCH CTLR RPTED TO US THAT WE WERE 400 FT LOW AND THAT WE HAD ALSO VIOLATED OHIO STATE ARPT'S CLASS D AIRSPACE. HE THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED AND NO ONE INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT ANY ONE AT THE TIME REGARDING THE ALTDEV. OHIO STATE ARPT IS A CLASS D AND THEREFORE WOULD ONLY EXTEND 2500 FT AGL -- WELL BELOW THE 3700 FT MSL ALT THAT WE HAD ACCIDENTALLY DSNDED TO. WE AS A CREW ALLOWED OURSELVES TO BECOME DISTRACTED BY THE FREQ AND HDG CHANGES AS WELL AS THE TFC CALLOUT. I NOW DO NOT TURN ON THE ACFT'S LNDG LIGHTS UNTIL I HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH (VISUAL OR INST). I ALSO DO NOT TURN ON THE TAXI LIGHT UNTIL I HAVE BEEN CLRED TO LAND. I FEEL THAT IF IN APCH'S CLRNC OF 'PROCEED DIRECT THE ARPT' THEY HAD ALSO INCLUDED 'MAINTAIN 4000 FT' OUR ALTDEV WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294928: THE ALT ALERT WENT OFF IN THE COCKPIT AND HE STATED WE ARE CLRED THE VISUAL AND I SAID OK AND THEN REALIZED I DID NOT REMEMBER HEARING THAT CLRNC, BUT SINCE I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC I MIGHT HAVE MISSED THE CALL. JUST AS THE THOUGHT CAME TO MIND TO ASK THE CTLR, THE APCH CTLR ASKED OUR ALT AND STATED WE HAD VIOLATED OHIO UNIVERSITY AIRSPACE.

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.