Narrative:

We had briefed the ILS runway 18 approach to jac but had planned on radar vectors to final rather than the 'full approach, own navigation' clearance that we received about 10 mi west of the jac VOR. We crossed the VOR at 20000 ft and I began the turn outbound. The PNF (captain) said he'd give me 'progressive instructions' on the leg outbound to quirt IAF. He then misread the chart and said to descend to a minimum outbound altitude of 11700 ft. But the actual minimum altitude outbound to quirt is 15000 ft! ATC called to report the error as we descended through 12000 ft for 11700 ft approaching quirt outbound. The captain responded, 'well, we're VFR,' (instead of 'correcting!') and commanded that I maintain 11700 ft rather than climb back up to 15000 ft to correct the problem. ATC said nothing. We completed the procedure turn and rest of the approach and landing, although I insisted on having the approach chart placed where I could see it and verify all the stepdown altitudes from that point. Lessons: 1) don't trust another pilot to give 'progressive' instructions on any approach that hasn't previously been thoroughly reviewed by both pilots. I should have either requested a visual approach or asked for holding until both of us had verified the altitudes for the full approach. My company subscribes to commercial charts and only 1 approach chart is available per cockpit, to be shared by the 2 pilots. (We each had our own charts at my previous 121 carrier, which I vastly preferred but which costs more and takes up valuable space in a business jet.) SOP says after the approach brief, the chart is normally placed in front of the PNF for the duration of the approach. 2) regardless of WX, if cleared for an instrument approach rather than a visual approach, the charted altitude constraints all apply. I frequently fly with people who equate VFR WX with visual approachs and lost altitude discipline in the sunshine. One must keep up the mental discipline of adhering to the instrument clearance until specifically hearing the magic words of 'cleared visual approach.' 3) always consider the possibility of a full approach, even if initially in radar contact. If I had done this, I would have noted the correct minimum point outbound altitude during the approach brief. Note on human factors: browbeaten after several trips with this 10 yr former freight pilot, whose deeply ingrained habits associated with flying cargo in piston singles at night (eg, keeping excess speed far too long on final approach, calling airports in sight too early, considering even the possibility of a missed approach anathema to say nothing of briefing it, of functionally flying single pilot). It's sorely tempting just to go along just to get along after days of talking to deaf ears about sops and building safety margins and stabilized approachs. But considering the consequences of not continuing to try, like the preview of hitting cumulus granitus we had today, renews my resolve. 3000 ft too low in the rockies wasn't an optimal start for the new year, but I'm grateful to be alive to learn from the error!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN H25C CREW, ON A 'FULL APCH OWN NAV' ILS TO JAC DSNDED PREMATURELY TO PROC TURN ALT.

Narrative: WE HAD BRIEFED THE ILS RWY 18 APCH TO JAC BUT HAD PLANNED ON RADAR VECTORS TO FINAL RATHER THAN THE 'FULL APCH, OWN NAV' CLRNC THAT WE RECEIVED ABOUT 10 MI W OF THE JAC VOR. WE CROSSED THE VOR AT 20000 FT AND I BEGAN THE TURN OUTBOUND. THE PNF (CAPT) SAID HE'D GIVE ME 'PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS' ON THE LEG OUTBOUND TO QUIRT IAF. HE THEN MISREAD THE CHART AND SAID TO DSND TO A MINIMUM OUTBOUND ALT OF 11700 FT. BUT THE ACTUAL MINIMUM ALT OUTBOUND TO QUIRT IS 15000 FT! ATC CALLED TO RPT THE ERROR AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 12000 FT FOR 11700 FT APCHING QUIRT OUTBOUND. THE CAPT RESPONDED, 'WELL, WE'RE VFR,' (INSTEAD OF 'CORRECTING!') AND COMMANDED THAT I MAINTAIN 11700 FT RATHER THAN CLB BACK UP TO 15000 FT TO CORRECT THE PROB. ATC SAID NOTHING. WE COMPLETED THE PROC TURN AND REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG, ALTHOUGH I INSISTED ON HAVING THE APCH CHART PLACED WHERE I COULD SEE IT AND VERIFY ALL THE STEPDOWN ALTS FROM THAT POINT. LESSONS: 1) DON'T TRUST ANOTHER PLT TO GIVE 'PROGRESSIVE' INSTRUCTIONS ON ANY APCH THAT HASN'T PREVIOUSLY BEEN THOROUGHLY REVIEWED BY BOTH PLTS. I SHOULD HAVE EITHER REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH OR ASKED FOR HOLDING UNTIL BOTH OF US HAD VERIFIED THE ALTS FOR THE FULL APCH. MY COMPANY SUBSCRIBES TO COMMERCIAL CHARTS AND ONLY 1 APCH CHART IS AVAILABLE PER COCKPIT, TO BE SHARED BY THE 2 PLTS. (WE EACH HAD OUR OWN CHARTS AT MY PREVIOUS 121 CARRIER, WHICH I VASTLY PREFERRED BUT WHICH COSTS MORE AND TAKES UP VALUABLE SPACE IN A BUSINESS JET.) SOP SAYS AFTER THE APCH BRIEF, THE CHART IS NORMALLY PLACED IN FRONT OF THE PNF FOR THE DURATION OF THE APCH. 2) REGARDLESS OF WX, IF CLRED FOR AN INST APCH RATHER THAN A VISUAL APCH, THE CHARTED ALT CONSTRAINTS ALL APPLY. I FREQUENTLY FLY WITH PEOPLE WHO EQUATE VFR WX WITH VISUAL APCHS AND LOST ALT DISCIPLINE IN THE SUNSHINE. ONE MUST KEEP UP THE MENTAL DISCIPLINE OF ADHERING TO THE INST CLRNC UNTIL SPECIFICALLY HEARING THE MAGIC WORDS OF 'CLRED VISUAL APCH.' 3) ALWAYS CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF A FULL APCH, EVEN IF INITIALLY IN RADAR CONTACT. IF I HAD DONE THIS, I WOULD HAVE NOTED THE CORRECT MINIMUM POINT OUTBOUND ALT DURING THE APCH BRIEF. NOTE ON HUMAN FACTORS: BROWBEATEN AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS WITH THIS 10 YR FORMER FREIGHT PLT, WHOSE DEEPLY INGRAINED HABITS ASSOCIATED WITH FLYING CARGO IN PISTON SINGLES AT NIGHT (EG, KEEPING EXCESS SPD FAR TOO LONG ON FINAL APCH, CALLING ARPTS IN SIGHT TOO EARLY, CONSIDERING EVEN THE POSSIBILITY OF A MISSED APCH ANATHEMA TO SAY NOTHING OF BRIEFING IT, OF FUNCTIONALLY FLYING SINGLE PLT). IT'S SORELY TEMPTING JUST TO GO ALONG JUST TO GET ALONG AFTER DAYS OF TALKING TO DEAF EARS ABOUT SOPS AND BUILDING SAFETY MARGINS AND STABILIZED APCHS. BUT CONSIDERING THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT CONTINUING TO TRY, LIKE THE PREVIEW OF HITTING CUMULUS GRANITUS WE HAD TODAY, RENEWS MY RESOLVE. 3000 FT TOO LOW IN THE ROCKIES WASN'T AN OPTIMAL START FOR THE NEW YEAR, BUT I'M GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE TO LEARN FROM THE ERROR!

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.