DC10 landing hnl begins descent without ATC approval.

Attributes
ACN	576473
Time
Date	200303
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl.airport
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	576473
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft level at 10000 ft MSL, handed off to hnl approach, assigned heading and descent to 8000 ft. Acknowledged clearance with 'leaving one zero thousand for eight thousand.' while passing 8600 ft, ATC called 'air carrier heavy, I did not tell you to descend to 8000 ft yet but since you started, level off at eight.' no conflicting aircraft were on TCASII. Contributing factors: 1) this is a point where aircraft are usually cleared to 8000 ft and I was expecting this clearance. 2) controller sounded rushed and overworked. Was most likely at end of shift, near XA30 local time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 LNDG HNL BEGINS DSCNT WITHOUT ATC APPROVAL.

Narrative: ACFT LEVEL AT 10000 FT MSL, HANDED OFF TO HNL APCH, ASSIGNED HDG AND DSCNT TO 8000 FT. ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC WITH 'LEAVING ONE ZERO THOUSAND FOR EIGHT THOUSAND.' WHILE PASSING 8600 FT, ATC CALLED 'ACR HVY, I DID NOT TELL YOU TO DSND TO 8000 FT YET BUT SINCE YOU STARTED, LEVEL OFF AT EIGHT.' NO CONFLICTING ACFT WERE ON TCASII. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) THIS IS A POINT WHERE ACFT ARE USUALLY CLRED TO 8000 FT AND I WAS EXPECTING THIS CLRNC. 2) CTLR SOUNDED RUSHED AND OVERWORKED. WAS MOST LIKELY AT END OF SHIFT, NEAR XA30 LCL TIME.

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.