First officer of a B727 descended below assigned approach altitude during turn to base and final prior to being cleared for the approach contrary to noise abatement procedures.

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Attributes
ACN	494190
Time
Date	200011
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : boi.airport
State Reference	ID
Altitude	msl single value : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : boi.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	494190
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared for a visual approach. We were on a left downwind with the first officer flying. ATC requested us to maintain 3500 ft until final. As the first officer initiated the turn to the base leg, he began to descend from the 3500 ft altitude. I reminded him of the need to maintain 3500 ft until final and he corrected. Shortly afterwards, he began a very shallow turn to final and because we were high he began a slow descent. After landing, ATC reminded us of the 3500 ft restr and informed us it was because of noise. Our engines were at idle, but the problem arose as a result of the first officer being unable to judge his distance from the field accurately since he sits on the right and was turning left. It was compounded by not flying a more square pattern and extending the downwind leg to a point where our distance and altitude would allow a more normal descent and allow us to maintain the 3500 ft until established on the final.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF A B727 DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED APCH ALT DURING TURN TO BASE AND FINAL PRIOR TO BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH CONTRARY TO NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. WE WERE ON A L DOWNWIND WITH THE FO FLYING. ATC REQUESTED US TO MAINTAIN 3500 FT UNTIL FINAL. AS THE FO INITIATED THE TURN TO THE BASE LEG, HE BEGAN TO DSND FROM THE 3500 FT ALT. I REMINDED HIM OF THE NEED TO MAINTAIN 3500 FT UNTIL FINAL AND HE CORRECTED. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, HE BEGAN A VERY SHALLOW TURN TO FINAL AND BECAUSE WE WERE HIGH HE BEGAN A SLOW DSCNT. AFTER LNDG, ATC REMINDED US OF THE 3500 FT RESTR AND INFORMED US IT WAS BECAUSE OF NOISE. OUR ENGS WERE AT IDLE, BUT THE PROB AROSE AS A RESULT OF THE FO BEING UNABLE TO JUDGE HIS DISTANCE FROM THE FIELD ACCURATELY SINCE HE SITS ON THE R AND WAS TURNING L. IT WAS COMPOUNDED BY NOT FLYING A MORE SQUARE PATTERN AND EXTENDING THE DOWNWIND LEG TO A POINT WHERE OUR DISTANCE AND ALT WOULD ALLOW A MORE NORMAL DSCNT AND ALLOW US TO MAINTAIN THE 3500 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL.

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.