Flight crew is concerned about low flight over bermuda with breaks in the overcast.

Attributes
ACN	315275
Time
Date	199509
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bda
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 20500 flight time type : 5400
ASRS Report	315275
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Ny radar instructed flight to descend and maintain 1500 ft on our course (this was given by ATC, about 100 mi out). The clouds were 1200 ft bases and up to 4500 ft tops (from our direction and to the northwest). As we approached the island on descent, we questioned the altitude and direction the controller had assigned. First officer said to the controller that we were heading over the island on the assigned instructions. At that time the controller told us to turn right 20 degrees. The island became visible and we turned right trying not to overfly the island. We stopped the descent at 2000 ft and did pass over the southwest tip of the island. The controller was not unhappy with the instructions he gave us and we were vectored for a visual approach, after we were off the coast under the base of the clouds with runway in sight (runway 30). The bermuda island is designated tx(right)-3017. Maximum speeds within 5 mi below 3000 ft is 250 KTS (we were at 210 KTS). Aircraft was vectored in the clouds over the southwest tip of the island at 1500 ft (we stopped at 2000, control was ny radar). We should have been at 5000 ft and 3 mi off the coast. At visual sighting of the island, we questioned ATC, and we received turn of 20 degrees. The first visual contact with the island was at 2000 ft about 1/2 mi off the coast. The communication time between ZNY and our aircraft created a late turn which put us over the island. We were under radar control from 180 mi out until the handoff to the tower final controller on the approach to runway 30 (about 6 mi left base to runway 30).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC IS CONCERNED ABOUT LOW FLT OVER BERMUDA WITH BREAKS IN THE OVCST.

Narrative: NY RADAR INSTRUCTED FLT TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 1500 FT ON OUR COURSE (THIS WAS GIVEN BY ATC, ABOUT 100 MI OUT). THE CLOUDS WERE 1200 FT BASES AND UP TO 4500 FT TOPS (FROM OUR DIRECTION AND TO THE NW). AS WE APCHED THE ISLAND ON DSCNT, WE QUESTIONED THE ALT AND DIRECTION THE CTLR HAD ASSIGNED. FO SAID TO THE CTLR THAT WE WERE HEADING OVER THE ISLAND ON THE ASSIGNED INSTRUCTIONS. AT THAT TIME THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN R 20 DEGS. THE ISLAND BECAME VISIBLE AND WE TURNED R TRYING NOT TO OVERFLY THE ISLAND. WE STOPPED THE DSCNT AT 2000 FT AND DID PASS OVER THE SW TIP OF THE ISLAND. THE CTLR WAS NOT UNHAPPY WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS HE GAVE US AND WE WERE VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH, AFTER WE WERE OFF THE COAST UNDER THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS WITH RWY IN SIGHT (RWY 30). THE BERMUDA ISLAND IS DESIGNATED TX(R)-3017. MAX SPDS WITHIN 5 MI BELOW 3000 FT IS 250 KTS (WE WERE AT 210 KTS). ACFT WAS VECTORED IN THE CLOUDS OVER THE SW TIP OF THE ISLAND AT 1500 FT (WE STOPPED AT 2000, CTL WAS NY RADAR). WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 5000 FT AND 3 MI OFF THE COAST. AT VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE ISLAND, WE QUESTIONED ATC, AND WE RECEIVED TURN OF 20 DEGS. THE FIRST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ISLAND WAS AT 2000 FT ABOUT 1/2 MI OFF THE COAST. THE COM TIME BTWN ZNY AND OUR ACFT CREATED A LATE TURN WHICH PUT US OVER THE ISLAND. WE WERE UNDER RADAR CTL FROM 180 MI OUT UNTIL THE HDOF TO THE TWR FINAL CTLR ON THE APCH TO RWY 30 (ABOUT 6 MI L BASE TO RWY 30).

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.