Flight crew descends on ILS prior to receiving clearance for the approach.

Attributes
ACN	113990
Time
Date	198906
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 2700
ASRS Report	113990
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared into lax at 3500 we were 15 DME from airport and given the clearance. (Intercept the localizer, monitor tower and contact them at lima). Established on the localizer I started to descend on the glide slope. While monitoring tower I realized we were never verbally cleared for the approach. I notified tower descending through 3300' and another voice (not the tower controller), came on and cleared me down to 2000'. At 2000' I was vectored out of the approach to be resequenced. No evasive action was taken. I believe they were training a new controller because the aircraft behind us got the same clearance but never asked if they were cleared for the approach. I believe all conditions were normal. The controller just didn't say cleared for the approach and I didn't want to take any changes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW DESCENDS ON ILS PRIOR TO RECEIVING CLRNC FOR THE APCH.

Narrative: CLRED INTO LAX AT 3500 WE WERE 15 DME FROM ARPT AND GIVEN THE CLRNC. (INTERCEPT THE LOC, MONITOR TWR AND CONTACT THEM AT LIMA). ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC I STARTED TO DSND ON THE GLIDE SLOPE. WHILE MONITORING TWR I REALIZED WE WERE NEVER VERBALLY CLRED FOR THE APCH. I NOTIFIED TWR DESCENDING THROUGH 3300' AND ANOTHER VOICE (NOT THE TWR CTLR), CAME ON AND CLRED ME DOWN TO 2000'. AT 2000' I WAS VECTORED OUT OF THE APCH TO BE RESEQUENCED. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. I BELIEVE THEY WERE TRAINING A NEW CTLR BECAUSE THE ACFT BEHIND US GOT THE SAME CLRNC BUT NEVER ASKED IF THEY WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. I BELIEVE ALL CONDITIONS WERE NORMAL. THE CTLR JUST DIDN'T SAY CLRED FOR THE APCH AND I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANGES.

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.