An air carrier flight crew flying SF340 to tup deviates from their assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	435890
Time
Date	199905
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tup.airport
State Reference	MS
Altitude	msl single value : 2300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1520
ASRS Report	435890
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200
ASRS Report	435889
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At assigned altitude of 2500 ft MSL, ZME advised to call tup in sight for the visual approach. At approximately 10 mi due west of tup, airport was sighted. ZME was busy with communication to other civil aircraft in vicinity. Due to location to tup traffic pattern and uncertainty to other approaching traffic, descent to the traffic pattern was anticipated as we called ZME to get visual approach. With the inability to immediately get ZME and the possibility of local traffic, a shallow descent was initiated towards the uncontrolled pattern. Contact with ZME was established at 2300 ft MSL and a visual approach was granted. The aircraft continued descent to pattern altitude. No traffic was found in pattern.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING SF340 TO TUP DEVIATES FROM THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: AT ASSIGNED ALT OF 2500 FT MSL, ZME ADVISED TO CALL TUP IN SIGHT FOR THE VISUAL APCH. AT APPROX 10 MI DUE W OF TUP, ARPT WAS SIGHTED. ZME WAS BUSY WITH COM TO OTHER CIVIL ACFT IN VICINITY. DUE TO LOCATION TO TUP TFC PATTERN AND UNCERTAINTY TO OTHER APCHING TFC, DSCNT TO THE TFC PATTERN WAS ANTICIPATED AS WE CALLED ZME TO GET VISUAL APCH. WITH THE INABILITY TO IMMEDIATELY GET ZME AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LCL TFC, A SHALLOW DSCNT WAS INITIATED TOWARDS THE UNCTLED PATTERN. CONTACT WITH ZME WAS ESTABLISHED AT 2300 FT MSL AND A VISUAL APCH WAS GRANTED. THE ACFT CONTINUED DSCNT TO PATTERN ALT. NO TFC WAS FOUND IN PATTERN.

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.