Narrative:

My first officer and I were on an IFR flight to msy. We were vectored for the localizer runway 19 at msy and cleared for the approach and told to maintain 2000 ft MSL until jaspo. The WX was VMC and I briefed the approach quickly. In the FMS we had jocie, jaspo and the map displayed on the moving map display on the mfd. I was between jocie and jaspo and started my descent down to 700 ft MSL, which was definitely incorrect. I was not supposed to descend until reaching jaspo. For some reason I was thinking jocie was jaspo, and the missed approach was shore. As I was saying, approach control changed me over to tower. I called tower, and he cleared me to land. I then started my descent and at approximately 1200 ft MSL tower issued me a low altitude alert. He told me that I was supposed to stay at 2000 ft MSL until jaspo, which is correct. I realized what had happened and leveled off my descent. Both myself and my first officer got jocie and jaspo confused. I was in VMC the entire time, and I did wonder why it looked like I was so low so far from the airport. Looking back, I think that we should have briefed the approach more carefully. I ran through the briefing quickly because the WX was not bad, and we were looking at some thunderstorms just northwest of the airport. This was just a fuel stop en route to mcallen, tx. The tower never had us call or said anything else of the incident. Another thing that could make a difference would be to not have consecutive intxns starting with the same letter, and our mfd did not display shore intersection. This is a good reminder that we need to brief our approachs more closely, and take time to see what is in the FMS, and what is displayed on the mfd.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE40 CAPT, PF, ADMITTED THAT HE MISUNDERSTOOD HIS CLRNC WHILE ON APCH TO MSY, CAUSING HIM TO TRIGGER A LOW ALT WARNING IN THE TWR.

Narrative: MY FO AND I WERE ON AN IFR FLT TO MSY. WE WERE VECTORED FOR THE LOC RWY 19 AT MSY AND CLRED FOR THE APCH AND TOLD TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT MSL UNTIL JASPO. THE WX WAS VMC AND I BRIEFED THE APCH QUICKLY. IN THE FMS WE HAD JOCIE, JASPO AND THE MAP DISPLAYED ON THE MOVING MAP DISPLAY ON THE MFD. I WAS BTWN JOCIE AND JASPO AND STARTED MY DSCNT DOWN TO 700 FT MSL, WHICH WAS DEFINITELY INCORRECT. I WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO DSND UNTIL REACHING JASPO. FOR SOME REASON I WAS THINKING JOCIE WAS JASPO, AND THE MISSED APCH WAS SHORE. AS I WAS SAYING, APCH CTL CHANGED ME OVER TO TWR. I CALLED TWR, AND HE CLRED ME TO LAND. I THEN STARTED MY DSCNT AND AT APPROX 1200 FT MSL TWR ISSUED ME A LOW ALT ALERT. HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY AT 2000 FT MSL UNTIL JASPO, WHICH IS CORRECT. I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND LEVELED OFF MY DSCNT. BOTH MYSELF AND MY FO GOT JOCIE AND JASPO CONFUSED. I WAS IN VMC THE ENTIRE TIME, AND I DID WONDER WHY IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS SO LOW SO FAR FROM THE ARPT. LOOKING BACK, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BRIEFED THE APCH MORE CAREFULLY. I RAN THROUGH THE BRIEFING QUICKLY BECAUSE THE WX WAS NOT BAD, AND WE WERE LOOKING AT SOME TSTMS JUST NW OF THE ARPT. THIS WAS JUST A FUEL STOP ENRTE TO MCALLEN, TX. THE TWR NEVER HAD US CALL OR SAID ANYTHING ELSE OF THE INCIDENT. ANOTHER THING THAT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE WOULD BE TO NOT HAVE CONSECUTIVE INTXNS STARTING WITH THE SAME LETTER, AND OUR MFD DID NOT DISPLAY SHORE INTXN. THIS IS A GOOD REMINDER THAT WE NEED TO BRIEF OUR APCHS MORE CLOSELY, AND TAKE TIME TO SEE WHAT IS IN THE FMS, AND WHAT IS DISPLAYED ON THE MFD.

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.