Air carrier large transport on downwind vector at 8000 ft for visual to airport. Captain, PF, thought cleared for the visual and began descent. First officer advised not cleared yet and at that time tower cleared aircraft for the visual.

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Attributes
ACN	351830
Time
Date	199610
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7600 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : slc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7300
ASRS Report	351830
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were being vectored and on the downwind leg 4000 ft AGL. The slc tower gave us a vector to base with a 7 mi final. I thought we had been cleared for a visual approach and started to descend. My first officer told me we did not have clearance to descend (there was no conflicting traffic). I descended 400 ft below our clearance altitude when slc cleared us for the visual.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ON DOWNWIND VECTOR AT 8000 FT FOR VISUAL TO ARPT. CAPT, PF, THOUGHT CLRED FOR THE VISUAL AND BEGAN DSCNT. FO ADVISED NOT CLRED YET AND AT THAT TIME TWR CLRED ACFT FOR THE VISUAL.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED AND ON THE DOWNWIND LEG 4000 FT AGL. THE SLC TWR GAVE US A VECTOR TO BASE WITH A 7 MI FINAL. I THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND STARTED TO DSND. MY FO TOLD ME WE DID NOT HAVE CLRNC TO DSND (THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC). I DSNDED 400 FT BELOW OUR CLRNC ALT WHEN SLC CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL.

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.