Narrative:

I was flying north approximately a beam sea airport with the airport to the east of us at 7000'. The approach controller asked if we had the airport in sight, because of a low layer of scattered clouds and unfamiliar with the area I told the captain I did not have the airport in sight but he said we had it in sight anyway. The controller then cleared us for the bay visual to runway 16R and also to 3000'. I immediately told the cap I did not have the airport and had no idea what was involved flying the bay visual. After glancing at the approach plate I asked the captain if he was familiar with the bay visual. He said 'well sort of just start turning in now.' we were now turning for an 8 mile right base for runway 16R and still neither of us had the airport in sight or knew the visual approach procedure. I was busy getting the aircraft down and slowed up when the approach controller asked if we were familiar with the bay visual. I do not remember the captain's response. The controller then told us to make a 180 degree to the left and proceeded to give us vectors for the bay 'visuals.' as we were being vectored we approached 3000' and I started a level off then noticed the captain had 2000' in the altitude alert. I questioned him and he said yes we were cleared to 2000'. He then asked for a confirmation from the controller who said we were actually cleared to 3000'. By this time I was at 2700' and climbed back to 3000' thinking to myself that I never want to fly with this clown again I climbed thru 3000' to 3400' then back to 3000'. I believe the reason the captain was so eager to accept the visual without knowing the procedure was that one of the vip of the airline was in first class and he just wanted to save a couple of minutes. Supplementary information on acn 81458: after 7 3/4 hours flying and an actual CAT III approach just prior to this incident, we were very tired. Copilot was flying, and with sea airport in sight, we were cleared visual to runway 16R approach. Apparently controller thought he said 'bay visual' but we heard just 'visual' approach. Controller turned us out with vectors to his desired track and cleared us lower. I heard and set 2000' on the altitude alert, but wasn't completely sure. I reasked him to confirm 2 or 3000'. He said 3000'. At that time we were at 2,600'. Length of flying had us fatigued and not as attentive as we needed to be. Since the WX was good, we were also 'letting down' after the CAT III we just completed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC ROUTE. ALT DEVIATION.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING NORTH APPROX A BEAM SEA ARPT WITH THE ARPT TO THE EAST OF US AT 7000'. THE APCH CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, BECAUSE OF A LOW LAYER OF SCATTERED CLOUDS AND UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA I TOLD THE CAPT I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT BUT HE SAID WE HAD IT IN SIGHT ANYWAY. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US FOR THE BAY VISUAL TO RWY 16R AND ALSO TO 3000'. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE CAP I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS INVOLVED FLYING THE BAY VISUAL. AFTER GLANCING AT THE APCH PLATE I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE BAY VISUAL. HE SAID 'WELL SORT OF JUST START TURNING IN NOW.' WE WERE NOW TURNING FOR AN 8 MILE R BASE FOR RWY 16R AND STILL NEITHER OF US HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT OR KNEW THE VISUAL APCH PROCEDURE. I WAS BUSY GETTING THE ACFT DOWN AND SLOWED UP WHEN THE APCH CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE BAY VISUAL. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE CAPT'S RESPONSE. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO MAKE A 180 DEG TO THE L AND PROCEEDED TO GIVE US VECTORS FOR THE BAY 'VISUALS.' AS WE WERE BEING VECTORED WE APCHED 3000' AND I STARTED A LEVEL OFF THEN NOTICED THE CAPT HAD 2000' IN THE ALTITUDE ALERT. I QUESTIONED HIM AND HE SAID YES WE WERE CLRED TO 2000'. HE THEN ASKED FOR A CONFIRMATION FROM THE CTLR WHO SAID WE WERE ACTUALLY CLRED TO 3000'. BY THIS TIME I WAS AT 2700' AND CLIMBED BACK TO 3000' THINKING TO MYSELF THAT I NEVER WANT TO FLY WITH THIS CLOWN AGAIN I CLIMBED THRU 3000' TO 3400' THEN BACK TO 3000'. I BELIEVE THE REASON THE CAPT WAS SO EAGER TO ACCEPT THE VISUAL WITHOUT KNOWING THE PROCEDURE WAS THAT ONE OF THE VIP OF THE AIRLINE WAS IN FIRST CLASS AND HE JUST WANTED TO SAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION ON ACN 81458: AFTER 7 3/4 HOURS FLYING AND AN ACTUAL CAT III APCH JUST PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, WE WERE VERY TIRED. COPLT WAS FLYING, AND WITH SEA AIRPORT IN SIGHT, WE WERE CLRED VISUAL TO RWY 16R APCH. APPARENTLY CTLR THOUGHT HE SAID 'BAY VISUAL' BUT WE HEARD JUST 'VISUAL' APCH. CTLR TURNED US OUT WITH VECTORS TO HIS DESIRED TRACK AND CLRED US LOWER. I HEARD AND SET 2000' ON THE ALTITUDE ALERT, BUT WASN'T COMPLETELY SURE. I REASKED HIM TO CONFIRM 2 OR 3000'. HE SAID 3000'. AT THAT TIME WE WERE AT 2,600'. LENGTH OF FLYING HAD US FATIGUED AND NOT AS ATTENTIVE AS WE NEEDED TO BE. SINCE THE WX WAS GOOD, WE WERE ALSO 'LETTING DOWN' AFTER THE CAT III WE JUST COMPLETED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.