Citation pilot reported deviating from assigned altitude during ATC vectors resulting in ATC issuing...

Attributes
ACN	1556294
Time
Date	201806
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	SCT.TRACON
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Cessna Citation Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	Visual Approach STAR IVINS1
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Captain Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 55 Flight Crew Total 970 Flight Crew Type 220
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Clearance Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT

Narrative:

Flying into vny at sunset with ceiling and visibility unlimited. Approach offered direct to the airport for a visual on 16R. I asked for direct furry (final approach fix) for the visual instead; intending to use the localizer and ILS glideslope on the visual approach. Approaching furry; my most recent ATC instruction had been maintain 5000 and 'expect' a visual approach; but at a certain point I mistakenly assumed I had been cleared for the visual and began a visual descent to arrive at furry at 3800 feet. At 4400 feet ATC called asking whether I had the airport in sight; upon confirming I didn't they issued a low altitude and terrain alert and instructed me to climb to 5000 feet. I began a climb and shortly afterwards spotted the airport; whereupon ATC cleared me for the visual approach and I landed without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Citation pilot reported deviating from assigned altitude during ATC vectors resulting in ATC issuing a low altitude and terrain warning.

Narrative: Flying into VNY at sunset with ceiling and visibility unlimited. Approach offered direct to the airport for a visual on 16R. I asked for direct FURRY (final approach fix) for the visual instead; intending to use the localizer and ILS glideslope on the visual approach. Approaching FURRY; my most recent ATC instruction had been maintain 5000 and 'expect' a visual approach; but at a certain point I mistakenly assumed I had been cleared for the visual and began a visual descent to arrive at FURRY at 3800 feet. At 4400 feet ATC called asking whether I had the airport in sight; upon confirming I didn't they issued a low altitude and terrain alert and instructed me to climb to 5000 feet. I began a climb and shortly afterwards spotted the airport; whereupon ATC cleared me for the visual approach and I landed without incident.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.