Narrative:

I was the first officer acting as pilot monitoring. On approach to grand forks (gfk) we were instructed to descend to 3000 ft and contact approach. Grand forks approach acknowledged our check-in; asked for a PIREP and gave us a clock position for the field to report the runway for a visual. I asked that he contact the tower and ask them to turn up the runway lights to help with spotting the runway; 35L. The ground was snow covered and blended with a deck of clouds south of the field that I did not previously notice. We were given a heading of 300 degrees to intercept the localizer and I heard and read back descend to 2000 ft. The new altitude was placed in the altitude alert window and acknowledged per company fom. In the descent I transmitted the tops were at 3000 ft and the base was at 2400 ft; no turbulence or icing. At approximately 2200 ft we were asked what our altitude was and I reported our altitude and descending to 2000 ft. Approach stated the MVA for our position was 2800 ft and to climb to that altitude. We complied and intercepted the localizer from 2800 ft. We subsequently broke out of the deck at 2800 ft and were cleared for a visual approach to runway 35L at gfk. There was no indication from ATC that there was any conflict or problem; however the captain contacted the tower later that day to ask if there were any unresolved issues; which there were none.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLT CREW DESCENDS BELOW CLRED ALT DUE TO HEARBACK READBACK PROBLEM.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ACTING AS PLT MONITORING. ON APCH TO GRAND FORKS (GFK) WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO DSND TO 3000 FT AND CONTACT APCH. GRAND FORKS APCH ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CHK-IN; ASKED FOR A PIREP AND GAVE US A CLOCK POS FOR THE FIELD TO RPT THE RWY FOR A VISUAL. I ASKED THAT HE CONTACT THE TWR AND ASK THEM TO TURN UP THE RWY LIGHTS TO HELP WITH SPOTTING THE RWY; 35L. THE GND WAS SNOW COVERED AND BLENDED WITH A DECK OF CLOUDS S OF THE FIELD THAT I DID NOT PREVIOUSLY NOTICE. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 300 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND I HEARD AND READ BACK DSND TO 2000 FT. THE NEW ALT WAS PLACED IN THE ALT ALERT WINDOW AND ACKNOWLEDGED PER COMPANY FOM. IN THE DSCNT I XMITTED THE TOPS WERE AT 3000 FT AND THE BASE WAS AT 2400 FT; NO TURB OR ICING. AT APPROX 2200 FT WE WERE ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS AND I RPTED OUR ALT AND DSNDING TO 2000 FT. APCH STATED THE MVA FOR OUR POS WAS 2800 FT AND TO CLB TO THAT ALT. WE COMPLIED AND INTERCEPTED THE LOC FROM 2800 FT. WE SUBSEQUENTLY BROKE OUT OF THE DECK AT 2800 FT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 35L AT GFK. THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM ATC THAT THERE WAS ANY CONFLICT OR PROB; HOWEVER THE CAPT CONTACTED THE TWR LATER THAT DAY TO ASK IF THERE WERE ANY UNRESOLVED ISSUES; WHICH THERE WERE NONE.

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.