Altitude deviation altitude excursion. Non adherence to ATC clearance instruction procedure.

Attributes
ACN	359430
Time
Date	199702
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lse
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3400 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : msp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	350430
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
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:

ZMP cleared us down to 4000 ft and then cleared us to join the lse 14 DME arc to the runway 18 OM. The minimum altitude on the arc is 3400 ft. Once established on the arc, I asked my first officer if we were cleared down to 3400 ft and he said yes. Upon arriving at 3400 ft center asked our altitude and told us we should still be at 4000 ft and then cleared us for the approach. I should have verified with ATC whether we were cleared to 3400 ft instead of my first officer.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION PROC.

Narrative: ZMP CLRED US DOWN TO 4000 FT AND THEN CLRED US TO JOIN THE LSE 14 DME ARC TO THE RWY 18 OM. THE MINIMUM ALT ON THE ARC IS 3400 FT. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE ARC, I ASKED MY FO IF WE WERE CLRED DOWN TO 3400 FT AND HE SAID YES. UPON ARRIVING AT 3400 FT CTR ASKED OUR ALT AND TOLD US WE SHOULD STILL BE AT 4000 FT AND THEN CLRED US FOR THE APCH. I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED WITH ATC WHETHER WE WERE CLRED TO 3400 FT INSTEAD OF MY FO.

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.