C172 pilot descends without clearance during approach to omn.

Attributes
ACN	704266
Time
Date	200607
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : barbs
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dab.tracon
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision arrival : holding pattern
Person 1
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
ASRS Report	704266
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Told to hold over barbs at 3000 ft as published in GPS 8 approach. Told to proceed inbound on approach. Received missed approach in holding. Proceeded inbound and started descent. Reported inbound. Approach control stated that we were not cleared for descent; we were only cleared for inbound. Call tower and gave information on what happened. We descended from 3000 ft to 2500 ft to begin approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT DSNDS WITHOUT CLRNC DURING APCH TO OMN.

Narrative: TOLD TO HOLD OVER BARBS AT 3000 FT AS PUBLISHED IN GPS 8 APCH. TOLD TO PROCEED INBOUND ON APCH. RECEIVED MISSED APCH IN HOLDING. PROCEEDED INBOUND AND STARTED DSCNT. RPTED INBOUND. APCH CTL STATED THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED FOR DSCNT; WE WERE ONLY CLRED FOR INBOUND. CALL TWR AND GAVE INFO ON WHAT HAPPENED. WE DSNDED FROM 3000 FT TO 2500 FT TO BEGIN APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.