ACR MLG ALT DEV OVERSHOT WHEN APCH CTLR AMENDED CLRNC FROM A VISUAL APCH TO A RADAR VECTOR WITH ALT ASSIGNMENT AS THE ACFT WAS XING THE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative

WE WERE APCHING MAUI FROM THE SE AT 8000 FT AND WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 2. WE COMMENCED A DSCNT TO 1500 FT PATTERN ALT AND BEGAN A R TURN TO THE ARPT. ANOTHER AIR CARRIER APCHING FROM THE WNW WAS GIVEN A TURN TO 070 DEG HDG; STILL UNDER IFR HANDLING. DUE TO OUR RELATIVE POS AND THE FACT THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED VISUALLY AND THEY HADN'T BEEN IT WAS CLR THAT WE WERE #1 TO THE ARPT. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US A TURN TO 270 DEG AND MAINTAIN 6000 FT. SINCE WE WERE ALREADY CLRED VISUAL AND WERE ALREADY DSNDING THROUGH 6000 FT AND A TURN TO 270 DEG WOULD ACTUALLY BE A TURN INTO THE OTHER TFC (EVEN IF THERE WAS LATERAL SEPARATION) I THOUGHT PERHAPS I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD OR PERHAPS THE CLRNC WAS MEANT FOR SOME OTHER ACFT -- SO; I SAID 'SAY AGAIN'. THE CTLR AGAIN GAVE US THE SAME CLRNC AND SAID WE WERE TO FOLLOW THE OTHER ACFT. WE STARTED THE TURN AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE TFC WHICH WE IMMEDIATELY SAW. THE REVERSAL OF SEQUENCE; HEADS OUT OF THE COCKPIT LOOKING FOR THE OTHER TFC AND RATE OF DSCNT (VFR); WE WERE NOW DSNDING OUT OF 5000 FT. (THE OTHER TFC WAS RPTED BY THE CTLR OUT OF 9000 FT.) I SAID WE HAD THE TFC AND ASKED TO CONFIRM CLRED VISUAL #2 BEHIND THE TFC. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS AN AFFIRMATIVE. POOR CTLR JUDGEMENT AND IRRATIONAL SEQUENCING MADE A NORMAL APCH INTO AN ALT BUSTING ZOO.