A carj crew, on a visual approach to ewr, departed assigned altitude once field was in sight, withou...

Attributes
ACN	545047
Time
Date	200204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1900
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 22r other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	545047
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment : msaw other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance other
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:

Unfamiliar (relatively) with the area, we were told to expect a visual approach. We had been to the airport multiple times this month so thought we would be able to see it. As we got closer to the OM for runway 22R, approach asked if we had the airport. We told him 'no' and he asked if we wanted the ILS or continue for the visual. Knowing we should be able to see the airport as we got closer to lining up with the runways, the captain made the decision to continue with the visual. I relayed this to approach. They then said, '...descend to 1900 ft for the visual.' we had been navigating by the FMS, and switched to navigation by navaids (ILS was tuned in). Normally the inbound course will automatic-tune on the HSI, mine did and the captain's did not. At this point the captain had the airfield in sight and disconnected the autoplt. I looked at my commercial charts and reached to dial in his inbound course on his HSI. While I was doing this, he had apparently started a visual approach thinking we had clearance. I didn't notice this occurring since I was tuning in his HSI. Approach came over the radio and said '...altitude alert, don't descend any further until you have the field in sight (approximately 1600 ft). I immediately told him '...field in sight.' we were then cleared for the visual approach into newark international and landed without further incidence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CARJ CREW, ON A VISUAL APCH TO EWR, DEPARTED ASSIGNED ALT ONCE FIELD WAS IN SIGHT, WITHOUT FIRST GETTING APPROVAL FROM ATC.

Narrative: UNFAMILIAR (RELATIVELY) WITH THE AREA, WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT A VISUAL APCH. WE HAD BEEN TO THE ARPT MULTIPLE TIMES THIS MONTH SO THOUGHT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT. AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE OM FOR RWY 22R, APCH ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT. WE TOLD HIM 'NO' AND HE ASKED IF WE WANTED THE ILS OR CONTINUE FOR THE VISUAL. KNOWING WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE ARPT AS WE GOT CLOSER TO LINING UP WITH THE RWYS, THE CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE WITH THE VISUAL. I RELAYED THIS TO APCH. THEY THEN SAID, '...DSND TO 1900 FT FOR THE VISUAL.' WE HAD BEEN NAVING BY THE FMS, AND SWITCHED TO NAV BY NAVAIDS (ILS WAS TUNED IN). NORMALLY THE INBOUND COURSE WILL AUTO-TUNE ON THE HSI, MINE DID AND THE CAPT'S DID NOT. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT HAD THE AIRFIELD IN SIGHT AND DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT. I LOOKED AT MY COMMERCIAL CHARTS AND REACHED TO DIAL IN HIS INBOUND COURSE ON HIS HSI. WHILE I WAS DOING THIS, HE HAD APPARENTLY STARTED A VISUAL APCH THINKING WE HAD CLRNC. I DIDN'T NOTICE THIS OCCURRING SINCE I WAS TUNING IN HIS HSI. APCH CAME OVER THE RADIO AND SAID '...ALT ALERT, DON'T DSND ANY FURTHER UNTIL YOU HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT (APPROX 1600 FT). I IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIM '...FIELD IN SIGHT.' WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH INTO NEWARK INTL AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENCE.

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.

A carj crew, on a visual approach to ewr, departed assigned altitude once field was in sight, without first getting approval from ATC.