An air carrier B757 flight crew misunderstood a controller's instructions and started their descent prior to being cleared for a visual approach.

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Attributes
ACN	396940
Time
Date	199803
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rlg
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13300 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11600 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	396940
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3800
ASRS Report	396942
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared by ZDV rlg direct ege and believed to have been cleared for approach. After leaving rlg, began descent from 14000 ft and at 13300 ft center inquired about altitude. We were under the impression we were cleared for a visual approach and center said if we had airport in sight, then we could be cleared visual to ege. When we said we had ege airport in sight ZDV cleared our flight for visual approach runway 25. When we were given clearance from rlg to talia, a fix on the approach, we understood that to allow for us to begin the approach, it would have been a good practice to have clarified our approach instructions as both pilots were under the idea we were cleared on a visual approach from rlg direct talia direct ege.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 FLC MISUNDERSTOOD A CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND STARTED THEIR DSCNT PRIOR TO BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: CLRED BY ZDV RLG DIRECT EGE AND BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR APCH. AFTER LEAVING RLG, BEGAN DSCNT FROM 14000 FT AND AT 13300 FT CTR INQUIRED ABOUT ALT. WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND CTR SAID IF WE HAD ARPT IN SIGHT, THEN WE COULD BE CLRED VISUAL TO EGE. WHEN WE SAID WE HAD EGE ARPT IN SIGHT ZDV CLRED OUR FLT FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 25. WHEN WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC FROM RLG TO TALIA, A FIX ON THE APCH, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT TO ALLOW FOR US TO BEGIN THE APCH, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD PRACTICE TO HAVE CLARIFIED OUR APCH INSTRUCTIONS AS BOTH PLTS WERE UNDER THE IDEA WE WERE CLRED ON A VISUAL APCH FROM RLG DIRECT TALIA DIRECT EGE.

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.