Air carrier pilot descends below cleared altitude in clt class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	413170
Time
Date	199809
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	413170
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
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain flying. Approach vectored aircraft for visual approach runway 18R but did not clear us for visual approach. Captain called airport in sight and initiated visual descent prior to receiving visual approach clearance. Shortly thereafter, approach clearance was received.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT DSNDS BELOW CLRED ALT IN CLT CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: CAPT FLYING. APCH VECTORED ACFT FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 18R BUT DID NOT CLR US FOR VISUAL APCH. CAPT CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT AND INITIATED VISUAL DSCNT PRIOR TO RECEIVING VISUAL APCH CLRNC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, APCH CLRNC WAS RECEIVED.

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.