PIC misinterpreted navigation information causing premature descent and pilot deviation.

Attributes
ACN	293720
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7700 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : slc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	293720
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approach control had cleared us for the ILS DME runway 16 approach, maintain 8000 ft to kayze. WX VFR conditions and the air crew had the field in sight. Crossing dwayn, the captain, flying the aircraft, thought he was over kayze and initiated a visual approach to runway 16. Passing 7700 ft approach control advised us we were to maintain 8000 ft to kayze. Unfortunately, because of budget cuts, so's are not issued approach plates. To attempt to read the approach plate over the first officer's shoulder is sometimes impossible. This leaves the so out of the loop. I think the airlines should issue approach plates and high altitude en route charts to so's. Maybe at the pilot's base they could have a minimal library or file so the so's could check out approach plates for their flight. This instead of issuing a full set of plates to the so's. The current system makes the so feel more like a passenger than a pilot.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC MISINTERPRETED NAV INFO CAUSING PREMATURE DSCNT AND PLTDEV.

Narrative: APCH CTL HAD CLRED US FOR THE ILS DME RWY 16 APCH, MAINTAIN 8000 FT TO KAYZE. WX VFR CONDITIONS AND THE AIR CREW HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. XING DWAYN, THE CAPT, FLYING THE ACFT, THOUGHT HE WAS OVER KAYZE AND INITIATED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16. PASSING 7700 FT APCH CTL ADVISED US WE WERE TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT TO KAYZE. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF BUDGET CUTS, SO'S ARE NOT ISSUED APCH PLATES. TO ATTEMPT TO READ THE APCH PLATE OVER THE FO'S SHOULDER IS SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE. THIS LEAVES THE SO OUT OF THE LOOP. I THINK THE AIRLINES SHOULD ISSUE APCH PLATES AND HIGH ALT ENRTE CHARTS TO SO'S. MAYBE AT THE PLT'S BASE THEY COULD HAVE A MINIMAL LIBRARY OR FILE SO THE SO'S COULD CHK OUT APCH PLATES FOR THEIR FLT. THIS INSTEAD OF ISSUING A FULL SET OF PLATES TO THE SO'S. THE CURRENT SYS MAKES THE SO FEEL MORE LIKE A PAX THAN A PLT.

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.