Narrative:

The main event was an altitude deviation in a procedure turn on the jackson hole ILS runway 18 approach. No minimum altitudes were broken, however, a hard altitude given by ATC for the procedure turn was broken by 800 ft before realizing the deviation and correcting. No conflicts occurred. Center did not even notice the deviation. Problems began as we approached the airport from the south. We fully expected the VOR approach to runway 36. AWOS was OTS and the last WX from center was about an hour old. Our company did not have current WX so a scramble ensued to get an observer to do an observation so we could fly an approach to get through a high overcast layer. Getting WX meant the PNF was off frequency a lot and became out of the loop a bit. Center was advised that we needed current WX, however, an ILS approach clearance was given anyway as we approached the jackson VOR. Our altitude was 15000 ft MSL. We declined the clearance and asked to hold at quirt intersection about 20 mi north of jackson hole on the localizer. We figured we would hold north until we got WX from company. Center approved the hold, but we got WX before we entered the hold. We notified center and received a clearance to begin the procedure turn but maintain 15000 ft MSL. The PNF was still trying to verify WX information at this time with company and became slightly out of the loop on location and what the PF was doing. Upon crossing quirt we began the procedure turn and the PF stated we were good to descend to 12000 ft MSL for the maneuver on the chart. 12000 ft was set in the alerter and a descent was begun. After about 600 ft the PNF realized we were told to maintain 15000 ft MSL for the procedure turn till advised. We were still not cleared for the approach. We were only cleared to start the approach with a clearance to be expected while we were in the turn. We climbed back to 15000 ft MSL and as we leveled off we received an approach clearance. There were no other incidents associated and center did not notice our deviation. Factors were: 1) our company for not having WX ready for us when AWOS was notamed to be out. 2) ATC for issuing a clearance, then holding, then start approach but not cleared. It created an air of confusion over what was our status. Especially when 1 pilot was off frequency a lot trying to get the appropriate information from company. This all occurred in about a 4-5 min period of time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT COMMUTER FLC HAS ALTDEV DURING PROC TURN ON ILS APCH. INTERP APCH PLATE AS ABLE TO DSND BUT HAD BEEN ASSIGNED A HARD ALT.

Narrative: THE MAIN EVENT WAS AN ALTDEV IN A PROC TURN ON THE JACKSON HOLE ILS RWY 18 APCH. NO MINIMUM ALTS WERE BROKEN, HOWEVER, A HARD ALT GIVEN BY ATC FOR THE PROC TURN WAS BROKEN BY 800 FT BEFORE REALIZING THE DEV AND CORRECTING. NO CONFLICTS OCCURRED. CTR DID NOT EVEN NOTICE THE DEV. PROBS BEGAN AS WE APCHED THE ARPT FROM THE S. WE FULLY EXPECTED THE VOR APCH TO RWY 36. AWOS WAS OTS AND THE LAST WX FROM CTR WAS ABOUT AN HR OLD. OUR COMPANY DID NOT HAVE CURRENT WX SO A SCRAMBLE ENSUED TO GET AN OBSERVER TO DO AN OBSERVATION SO WE COULD FLY AN APCH TO GET THROUGH A HIGH OVCST LAYER. GETTING WX MEANT THE PNF WAS OFF FREQ A LOT AND BECAME OUT OF THE LOOP A BIT. CTR WAS ADVISED THAT WE NEEDED CURRENT WX, HOWEVER, AN ILS APCH CLRNC WAS GIVEN ANYWAY AS WE APCHED THE JACKSON VOR. OUR ALT WAS 15000 FT MSL. WE DECLINED THE CLRNC AND ASKED TO HOLD AT QUIRT INTXN ABOUT 20 MI N OF JACKSON HOLE ON THE LOC. WE FIGURED WE WOULD HOLD N UNTIL WE GOT WX FROM COMPANY. CTR APPROVED THE HOLD, BUT WE GOT WX BEFORE WE ENTERED THE HOLD. WE NOTIFIED CTR AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO BEGIN THE PROC TURN BUT MAINTAIN 15000 FT MSL. THE PNF WAS STILL TRYING TO VERIFY WX INFO AT THIS TIME WITH COMPANY AND BECAME SLIGHTLY OUT OF THE LOOP ON LOCATION AND WHAT THE PF WAS DOING. UPON XING QUIRT WE BEGAN THE PROC TURN AND THE PF STATED WE WERE GOOD TO DSND TO 12000 FT MSL FOR THE MANEUVER ON THE CHART. 12000 FT WAS SET IN THE ALERTER AND A DSCNT WAS BEGUN. AFTER ABOUT 600 FT THE PNF REALIZED WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 15000 FT MSL FOR THE PROC TURN TILL ADVISED. WE WERE STILL NOT CLRED FOR THE APCH. WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO START THE APCH WITH A CLRNC TO BE EXPECTED WHILE WE WERE IN THE TURN. WE CLBED BACK TO 15000 FT MSL AND AS WE LEVELED OFF WE RECEIVED AN APCH CLRNC. THERE WERE NO OTHER INCIDENTS ASSOCIATED AND CTR DID NOT NOTICE OUR DEV. FACTORS WERE: 1) OUR COMPANY FOR NOT HAVING WX READY FOR US WHEN AWOS WAS NOTAMED TO BE OUT. 2) ATC FOR ISSUING A CLRNC, THEN HOLDING, THEN START APCH BUT NOT CLRED. IT CREATED AN AIR OF CONFUSION OVER WHAT WAS OUR STATUS. ESPECIALLY WHEN 1 PLT WAS OFF FREQ A LOT TRYING TO GET THE APPROPRIATE INFO FROM COMPANY. THIS ALL OCCURRED IN ABOUT A 4-5 MIN PERIOD OF TIME.

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.