Air carrier crew descends below cleared altitude on approach to lga.

Attributes
ACN	413031
Time
Date	199808
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lga
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	413031
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	413248
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Location: abeam the world trade center over the hudson river. Last leg of a 4 leg day at XA25. I was captain PNF. On minks 1 arrival to lga passing proud intersection, new york approach cleared us direct to the statue, cleared for the river visual runway 13 approach and handed us over to lga tower. The approach controller spoke very rapidly and I had difficulty understanding him. If the approach controller told us to maintain 2500 ft until final, neither the first officer nor I heard him. I checked in with lga tower. The first officer was hand flying and started to configure for landing. Passing abeam the world trade center the first officer had descended to 2000 ft. Tower said check your altimeter I show you at 2000 ft, climb and maintain 2500 ft until starting the turn to final. Reviewing chart 19-1 dated apr/xx/98 for new york, ny, river visual runway 13, note #3 says maintain 2000 ft or above as long as possible. There are no other altitude restrs on the chart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW DSNDS BELOW CLRED ALT ON APCH TO LGA.

Narrative: LOCATION: ABEAM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER OVER THE HUDSON RIVER. LAST LEG OF A 4 LEG DAY AT XA25. I WAS CAPT PNF. ON MINKS 1 ARR TO LGA PASSING PROUD INTXN, NEW YORK APCH CLRED US DIRECT TO THE STATUE, CLRED FOR THE RIVER VISUAL RWY 13 APCH AND HANDED US OVER TO LGA TWR. THE APCH CTLR SPOKE VERY RAPIDLY AND I HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING HIM. IF THE APCH CTLR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT UNTIL FINAL, NEITHER THE FO NOR I HEARD HIM. I CHKED IN WITH LGA TWR. THE FO WAS HAND FLYING AND STARTED TO CONFIGURE FOR LNDG. PASSING ABEAM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER THE FO HAD DSNDED TO 2000 FT. TWR SAID CHK YOUR ALTIMETER I SHOW YOU AT 2000 FT, CLB AND MAINTAIN 2500 FT UNTIL STARTING THE TURN TO FINAL. REVIEWING CHART 19-1 DATED APR/XX/98 FOR NEW YORK, NY, RIVER VISUAL RWY 13, NOTE #3 SAYS MAINTAIN 2000 FT OR ABOVE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. THERE ARE NO OTHER ALT RESTRS ON THE CHART.

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.