An air carrier B727 flight crew attempting to acquire the airport visually forgot to have someone fly the aircraft and they descended below their assigned altitude and got a terrain warning as well as an altitude alert.

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Attributes
ACN	375074
Time
Date	199707
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tus
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tus tower : fll
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	375074
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	374773
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching for landing at tus at night to land on runway 11L. Approach kept asking if we had the airport and the 3 crew members were looking for it and we saw it, but the aircraft went to 5600 ft MSL before we could notify approach we had it and be cleared for a visual approach. We did climb back to 6000 ft. Also got a GPWS going over the peak of hill to west of airport. It was a momentary signal. Cures for event: 1) less emphasis on getting pilots to accept a visual approach. We fly to many airports and may not go to any one airport for a yr or more. 2) 1 person must fly airplane if others are going to look outside or attend to other activities. 3) leave airplane on autoplt to reduce workload. I was hand flying aircraft at that point and was after we had climbed back up to 6000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 FLC ATTEMPTING TO ACQUIRE THE ARPT VISUALLY FORGOT TO HAVE SOMEONE FLY THE ACFT AND THEY DSNDED BELOW THEIR ASSIGNED ALT AND GOT A TERRAIN WARNING AS WELL AS AN ALT ALERT.

Narrative: APCHING FOR LNDG AT TUS AT NIGHT TO LAND ON RWY 11L. APCH KEPT ASKING IF WE HAD THE ARPT AND THE 3 CREW MEMBERS WERE LOOKING FOR IT AND WE SAW IT, BUT THE ACFT WENT TO 5600 FT MSL BEFORE WE COULD NOTIFY APCH WE HAD IT AND BE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. WE DID CLB BACK TO 6000 FT. ALSO GOT A GPWS GOING OVER THE PEAK OF HILL TO W OF ARPT. IT WAS A MOMENTARY SIGNAL. CURES FOR EVENT: 1) LESS EMPHASIS ON GETTING PLTS TO ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH. WE FLY TO MANY ARPTS AND MAY NOT GO TO ANY ONE ARPT FOR A YR OR MORE. 2) 1 PERSON MUST FLY AIRPLANE IF OTHERS ARE GOING TO LOOK OUTSIDE OR ATTEND TO OTHER ACTIVITIES. 3) LEAVE AIRPLANE ON AUTOPLT TO REDUCE WORKLOAD. I WAS HAND FLYING ACFT AT THAT POINT AND WAS AFTER WE HAD CLBED BACK UP TO 6000 FT.

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.