A BE02 flight crew, thinking that they had been cleared for the ILS runway 25 approach into fmn, NM,...

Attributes
ACN	389760
Time
Date	199712
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fmn
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9500 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zdv
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 950
ASRS Report	389760
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	389408
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Night, IFR clearance out of dro, flew published IFR departure procedure out of this non twred airport (on way to fmn). Checked in with ZDV at 10000 ft MSL (our assigned altitude). Different controller voice this time (female). She asked what approach we wanted into fmn (since it was partially IFR/VFR at night). I, as PNF, requested the 10 DME arc south to the ILS runway 25 into farmington. She then said 'cleared via V95 to the 10 DME arc south to ILS runway 25 into farmington.' she may have said maintain 10000 ft but neither the captain or I can recall. We flew V95, entered the 10 DME arc where published altitude on it is 8500 ft MSL. We started to descend on down to 8500 ft and I checked in with ATC at 9500 ft while descending to tell her we were on the 10 DME arc. She asked us if we were descending. I said we were descending to 8500 ft. She said we were not cleared for the approach and then she cleared us for the ILS runway 25 fmn. Captain and I understood last clearance as ok to do approach. It was somewhat ambiguous. This was our 11TH leg of the day. We were tired (flew from XB00 to XP00) with only two breaks all day. We landed safely and did the approach with no problems. We both assumed and checked with each other that we were cleared for approach but did not verify with ATC. Supplemental information from acn 389408: day was the end of a 5 day trip that included, a new first officer and many approachs due to a stalled low pressure system over the southwest, with a scheduled flying time of 7 hours and 54 mins, just 8 mins less than the legal 8 hours, not to mention a duty time of 13 hours and 25 mins. This day the flight time ran into 9 hours and 20 mins with a duty day extending well past 15 hours. Add the hotel shuttle and stress, we were very tired. We shot 9 ILS approachs out of 11 total legs. The controllers were short staffed and working many aircraft. Often we went from center to tower and simply skipped approach control. I believe we were lulled into a false sense of just expecting our clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE02 FLC, THINKING THAT THEY HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 25 APCH INTO FMN, NM, LEAVES THEIR ASSIGNED ALT OF 10000 FT FOR 8500 FT. FLT HAD BEEN CLRED, 'VIA THE 10 DME ARC S TO ILS RWY 25 INTO FMN.' CTLR ASKED THEM THEIR ALT AND AFTER SAYING THEY HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH, GAVE APCH CLRNC.

Narrative: NIGHT, IFR CLRNC OUT OF DRO, FLEW PUBLISHED IFR DEP PROC OUT OF THIS NON TWRED ARPT (ON WAY TO FMN). CHKED IN WITH ZDV AT 10000 FT MSL (OUR ASSIGNED ALT). DIFFERENT CTLR VOICE THIS TIME (FEMALE). SHE ASKED WHAT APCH WE WANTED INTO FMN (SINCE IT WAS PARTIALLY IFR/VFR AT NIGHT). I, AS PNF, REQUESTED THE 10 DME ARC S TO THE ILS RWY 25 INTO FARMINGTON. SHE THEN SAID 'CLRED VIA V95 TO THE 10 DME ARC S TO ILS RWY 25 INTO FARMINGTON.' SHE MAY HAVE SAID MAINTAIN 10000 FT BUT NEITHER THE CAPT OR I CAN RECALL. WE FLEW V95, ENTERED THE 10 DME ARC WHERE PUBLISHED ALT ON IT IS 8500 FT MSL. WE STARTED TO DSND ON DOWN TO 8500 FT AND I CHKED IN WITH ATC AT 9500 FT WHILE DSNDING TO TELL HER WE WERE ON THE 10 DME ARC. SHE ASKED US IF WE WERE DSNDING. I SAID WE WERE DSNDING TO 8500 FT. SHE SAID WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR THE APCH AND THEN SHE CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 25 FMN. CAPT AND I UNDERSTOOD LAST CLRNC AS OK TO DO APCH. IT WAS SOMEWHAT AMBIGUOUS. THIS WAS OUR 11TH LEG OF THE DAY. WE WERE TIRED (FLEW FROM XB00 TO XP00) WITH ONLY TWO BREAKS ALL DAY. WE LANDED SAFELY AND DID THE APCH WITH NO PROBS. WE BOTH ASSUMED AND CHKED WITH EACH OTHER THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR APCH BUT DID NOT VERIFY WITH ATC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 389408: DAY WAS THE END OF A 5 DAY TRIP THAT INCLUDED, A NEW FO AND MANY APCHS DUE TO A STALLED LOW PRESSURE SYS OVER THE SW, WITH A SCHEDULED FLYING TIME OF 7 HRS AND 54 MINS, JUST 8 MINS LESS THAN THE LEGAL 8 HRS, NOT TO MENTION A DUTY TIME OF 13 HRS AND 25 MINS. THIS DAY THE FLT TIME RAN INTO 9 HRS AND 20 MINS WITH A DUTY DAY EXTENDING WELL PAST 15 HRS. ADD THE HOTEL SHUTTLE AND STRESS, WE WERE VERY TIRED. WE SHOT 9 ILS APCHS OUT OF 11 TOTAL LEGS. THE CTLRS WERE SHORT STAFFED AND WORKING MANY ACFT. OFTEN WE WENT FROM CTR TO TWR AND SIMPLY SKIPPED APCH CTL. I BELIEVE WE WERE LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF JUST EXPECTING OUR CLRNC.

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.