An EMB120 flight crew descended to an unsafe altitude near crq.

Attributes
ACN	449245
Time
Date	199909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2400 msl bound upper : 3400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 119
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2 flight time type : 3200
ASRS Report	449245
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer observation : company check pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment : msaw other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was in the left seat flying as captain, although I was on my 4TH leg of a 2 day requalification IOE. The check airman in the right seat was flying that leg (we were landing at palomar). Socal gave us a descent to 2400 ft. I read back the clearance and had no correction from ATC. We were VMC and noticed that we seemed to be too low to the terrain and I was about to ask what the MVA was when the controller said we were cleared to 3400 ft. We promptly climbed to the correct altitude. We did not get a GPWS warning because we were in the base turn and the radar altimeter doesn't read accurately in turns (it was reading 2000 ft AGL in the turn). I'm not sure what could have been done differently. We read back the clearance and got no correction. The MSA in that sector is 6800 ft -- well below both altitudes, so that figure doesn't throw a flag. We were approximately 14 NM east of the ocn VOR on the ILS for runway 24 carlsbad.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB120 FLC DSNDED TO AN UNSAFE ALT NEAR CRQ.

Narrative: I WAS IN THE L SEAT FLYING AS CAPT, ALTHOUGH I WAS ON MY 4TH LEG OF A 2 DAY REQUALIFICATION IOE. THE CHK AIRMAN IN THE R SEAT WAS FLYING THAT LEG (WE WERE LNDG AT PALOMAR). SOCAL GAVE US A DSCNT TO 2400 FT. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND HAD NO CORRECTION FROM ATC. WE WERE VMC AND NOTICED THAT WE SEEMED TO BE TOO LOW TO THE TERRAIN AND I WAS ABOUT TO ASK WHAT THE MVA WAS WHEN THE CTLR SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 3400 FT. WE PROMPTLY CLBED TO THE CORRECT ALT. WE DID NOT GET A GPWS WARNING BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE BASE TURN AND THE RADAR ALTIMETER DOESN'T READ ACCURATELY IN TURNS (IT WAS READING 2000 FT AGL IN THE TURN). I'M NOT SURE WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY. WE READ BACK THE CLRNC AND GOT NO CORRECTION. THE MSA IN THAT SECTOR IS 6800 FT -- WELL BELOW BOTH ALTS, SO THAT FIGURE DOESN'T THROW A FLAG. WE WERE APPROX 14 NM E OF THE OCN VOR ON THE ILS FOR RWY 24 CARLSBAD.

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.