Narrative:

This flight was a cap pilot proficiency flight. An IFR flight plan was filed from the aircraft home base (hua) and returning to hua with instrument approachs at fym and bgf. 2 cap pilots were on board. The PF was instrument rated, the PNF was private pilot rated only. On the return leg back to hua, ZME handed the flight off to huntsville approach approximately 20 mi from the final destination. Upon call-up, the controller said to expect the visual approach into hua. The pilot acknowledged this and was subsequently cleared at pilot's discretion to 2900 ft MSL direct rqz. The ceiling at hsv, 5 mi west of hua, was reported as 1900 ft broken. Upon reaching rqz, the pilot proceeded to the next waypoint on the flight plan (hua NDB). Shortly after rqz passage, the controller asked if we were visual. The pilot acknowledged with an affirmative and then proceeded with the visual approach. While descending through 2500 ft MSL, the controller said that the flight assigned altitude was 2900 ft MSL. The pilot advised that he thought he had been cleared for the visual. The controller asked if he had the airport in sight. The pilot acknowledged with an affirmative. The controller then gave the clearance for the visual approach. The pilot acknowledged and then canceled IFR at which point he was instructed to squawk VFR and frequency change approved. The pilot is not aware of any other incident due to this altitude deviation even after a later phone call to hsv approach.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C172 DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED ALT PRIOR TO BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS A CAP PLT PROFICIENCY FLT. AN IFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED FROM THE ACFT HOME BASE (HUA) AND RETURNING TO HUA WITH INST APCHS AT FYM AND BGF. 2 CAP PLTS WERE ON BOARD. THE PF WAS INST RATED, THE PNF WAS PVT PLT RATED ONLY. ON THE RETURN LEG BACK TO HUA, ZME HANDED THE FLT OFF TO HUNTSVILLE APCH APPROX 20 MI FROM THE FINAL DEST. UPON CALL-UP, THE CTLR SAID TO EXPECT THE VISUAL APCH INTO HUA. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED AT PLT'S DISCRETION TO 2900 FT MSL DIRECT RQZ. THE CEILING AT HSV, 5 MI W OF HUA, WAS RPTED AS 1900 FT BROKEN. UPON REACHING RQZ, THE PLT PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT WAYPOINT ON THE FLT PLAN (HUA NDB). SHORTLY AFTER RQZ PASSAGE, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE VISUAL. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED WITH AN AFFIRMATIVE AND THEN PROCEEDED WITH THE VISUAL APCH. WHILE DSNDING THROUGH 2500 FT MSL, THE CTLR SAID THAT THE FLT ASSIGNED ALT WAS 2900 FT MSL. THE PLT ADVISED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. THE CTLR ASKED IF HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED WITH AN AFFIRMATIVE. THE CTLR THEN GAVE THE CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL APCH. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEN CANCELED IFR AT WHICH POINT HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO SQUAWK VFR AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. THE PLT IS NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER INCIDENT DUE TO THIS ALTDEV EVEN AFTER A LATER PHONE CALL TO HSV APCH.

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.