DEV FROM CLRNC. ACR HVT INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A MISSED APCH AND DID NOT COMPLY AS PIC; PNF; HAD RECEIVER SWITCH TURNED OFF. CREW OBEYED CAPT'S COMMAND AUTHORITY; NOT ATC INSTRUCTION.

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INSIDE MARKER FOR 8R ILS; FO FLYING; SOMEHOW #1 RADIO VOLUME WAS TURNED OFF (I MAY HAVE DONE THIS IN TURNING MARKER AUDIO OFF; SWITCHES ARE NEXT TO EACH OTHER). SUDDENLY FO STARTS CLBING AND MENTIONS SOMETHING ABOUT '8000.' DEN APCH HAD CLRED US 'ILS 8R; MAINTAIN 8000 UNTIL ESTABLISHED.' THINKING THE FO HAD MISSED THE CLRNC; I TOLD HIM TO 'MAINTAIN THE GS; CONTINUE THE APCH. WE'RE INSIDE THE MARKER; YOU HAVEN'T BUSTED THE ALT.' HE CONTINUED THE APCH AND I CALLED DEN TWR 'INSIDE MARKER FOR 8R.' UPON RELEASING THE MIC N; I GOT NO REPLY AND QUICKLY FOUND THE #1 VOLUME OFF. I HEARD THE TWR AS SOON AS I TURNED UP THE VOLUME AND GAVE OUR POS; EXPLAINING WE HAD BEEN OFF THE AIR. HE CLRED US TO LAND 8R. ON ROLLOUT; I OVERHEARD THE TWR THANKING ANOTHER ACR FOR THEIR HELP. AT THE GATE; I WAS 'CRITIQUING' WITH THE CREW TO FIND TO MY AMAZEMENT THAT DENVER TWR HAD GIVEN US A MISSED APCH TO MAINTAIN 8000 AND GETTING NO REPLY; ASKED OTHER ACR TO SIDESTEP TO 8L; WHICH THEY DID. I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE SAID THINGS WORKED OUT WELL; A MISSED APCH WOULD HAVE INCREASED THEIR ALREADY HIGH WORKLOAD. MEANWHILE; I'M L TO PONDER HOW 2 EXPERIENCED CREW MEMBERS COULD ALLOW ME TO OVERRIDE A MISSED APCH ORDER BY THE TWR. MY COMPANY SUBSCRIBES STRONGLY TO CLR (CRM) AS DO I. AS A LINE CHK AIRMAN ON THE LGT; I TRIED TO TEACH OPENNESS IN THE COCKPIT; 'NO SECRETS OR SUPPRESSED THOUGHTS.' YET IT HAPPENED TO ME.