Flight crew of medium large transport misread chart started descent too soon without controller clea...

Attributes
ACN	175398
Time
Date	199104
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2300 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	175398
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	175509
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On vectors for approach to runway 13R dfw. Cleared to maintain 4000' until established on localizer. Descended to 4000' and intercepted localizer. Approximately 20 NM from runway. First officer was fling aircraft and as captain I looked at approach plate and said we were cleared to 2300' (marker crossing altitude) instead of maintaining 4000' until the 14 DME, and then 3 mi until 9.1 DME. We were VFR at all times on approach and I misread the approach plate. As captain I set 2300' in altitude reminder and told first officer we were then cleared to 2300'.. First officer was on initial operating experience flight and continued to 2300'. Upon leveling off approach control told us to climb immediately to 4000'. At that time, we realized our error and approach and landing continued uneventful. Contributing factors: planning and thinking about approach to another runway briefing approach to assigned runway in a busy phase of flight, being very late (3 hours) and primarily not reading approach plate correctly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG MISREAD CHART STARTED DESCENT TOO SOON WITHOUT CTLR CLRNC.

Narrative: ON VECTORS FOR APCH TO RWY 13R DFW. CLRED TO MAINTAIN 4000' UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON LOC. DSNDED TO 4000' AND INTERCEPTED LOC. APPROX 20 NM FROM RWY. F/O WAS FLING ACFT AND AS CAPT I LOOKED AT APCH PLATE AND SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 2300' (MARKER XING ALT) INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING 4000' UNTIL THE 14 DME, AND THEN 3 MI UNTIL 9.1 DME. WE WERE VFR AT ALL TIMES ON APCH AND I MISREAD THE APCH PLATE. AS CAPT I SET 2300' IN ALT REMINDER AND TOLD F/O WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 2300'.. F/O WAS ON INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE FLT AND CONTINUED TO 2300'. UPON LEVELING OFF APCH CTL TOLD US TO CLB IMMEDIATELY TO 4000'. AT THAT TIME, WE REALIZED OUR ERROR AND APCH AND LNDG CONTINUED UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PLANNING AND THINKING ABOUT APCH TO ANOTHER RWY BRIEFING APCH TO ASSIGNED RWY IN A BUSY PHASE OF FLT, BEING VERY LATE (3 HRS) AND PRIMARILY NOT READING APCH PLATE CORRECTLY.

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

Flight crew of medium large transport misread chart started descent too soon without controller clearance.