Flight crew leaves assigned altitude without proper clearance.

Attributes
ACN	312080
Time
Date	199507
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ric
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5200 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ric tower : hpn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 75
ASRS Report	312080
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 other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

On approach to ric cleared by approach control to 6000 ft. Called airport in sight cleared 'to the airport,' captain mistook clearance for visual and descended through 6000 ft to 5200 ft before I recognized the error. ATC then cleared to 4000 ft. No separation in traffic lost.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC LEAVES ASSIGNED ALT WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC.

Narrative: ON APCH TO RIC CLRED BY APCH CTL TO 6000 FT. CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT CLRED 'TO THE ARPT,' CAPT MISTOOK CLRNC FOR VISUAL AND DSNDED THROUGH 6000 FT TO 5200 FT BEFORE I RECOGNIZED THE ERROR. ATC THEN CLRED TO 4000 FT. NO SEPARATION IN TFC LOST.

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.