ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN DSCNT.

Narrative

I WAS THE COPLT AND IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG. GOOD PLT; GOOD CAPT. VECTORED OFF THE ZIGGY 3 ARR. ATC KEPT GRADUALLY GIVING US LOWER ALT 1000 FT AT A TIME. WE WERE SET UP FOR THE CLASSIC 'SLAM DUNK' APCH COUPLED WITH ATC PRESSURE TO TAKE A VISUAL WITH NUMEROUS ARPTS (CHINO; EL MONTE; ETC) IN THE AREA. THIS ATC ATTITUDE OF 'JUST TAKE THE VISUAL' (SO I CAN GO BACK TO SLEEP) IS TYPICAL OF SOME CTLRS LATE AT NIGHT THAT HAVE BEEN OVERWORKED EARLIER. IT IS A GREAT WAY TO SET UP FOR THE WRONG ARPT. CAPT WAS HAND FLYING AND VIGILANTLY LOOKING FOR THE CORRECT ARPT WHILE I WAS TUNING AND IDENTING RADIOS WHEN I LOOKED UP AND SAW THE ACFT DSNDING THROUGH ASSIGNED 8000 FT. I CALLED THIS OUT AND HE CORRECTED THE FLT ALT. I FEEL THAT A MYRIADS OF FACTORS CAUSED THIS DEV. A SIGNIFICANT ONE THAT CAUSED ME TO TAKE MUCH MORE TIME THAN NORMAL TO IDENT THE RADIOS IS B-727 ACFT DIFFERENCES AT MY COMPANY. MY GOD; WE MUST HAVE 2 DOZEN DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS IN THE FLEET TO CONTEND WITH. ADDITIONALLY MUCH OF THE PANEL/PEDESTAL LIGHTING IN THESE AIRPLANES IS EITHER BURNED-OUT; UNLABELED OR CHIPPED UP AND ILLEGIBLE. WRITING IT UP DOES NO GOOD. (BUT OLD BIRDS ARE BETTER THAN NO BIRDS!) ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IS THE RIDICULOUS 24-HR-A-DAY RESERVE POLICY THAT IS ALLOWED AT MY COMPANY. HOW CAN THE FAA EVEN SANCTION SUCH AN OBVIOUSLY DANGEROUS SCHEDULING PRACTICE? EVERYONE INCLUDING THE CTLR WAS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT IMPAIRED BECAUSE IT WAS XA30 AM! CTLR MUST HAVE FALLEN BACK ASLEEP BECAUSE HE FORGOT TO SWITCH US OVER TO TWR (WHICH I QUERIED HIM ABOUT ON SHORT FINAL). CONCLUSIONS: FORCE ACR TO RELEASE ALL THE NASA SLEEP DEPRIVATION STUDY RESULTS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSING AND SHARE THESE RESULTS WITH THE PLT GROUP AND ARSA. 2) GET THE FAA TO FORCE MANUFACTURERS TO STANDARDIZE COCKPITS BTWN COMPANIES AND NOT ALLOW INDIVIDUAL MGRS TO SPECIFY UNUSUAL EQUIP - MERGERS AND AIRLINE EQUIP SALES ARE INEVITABLE IN THE FUTURE. 3) GIVE ARSA STAFF AUTH TO CHANGE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYS PROCS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 299941: THE CAPT (PF) BEGAN A RAPID DSCNT REQUIRED BECAUSE OF OUR PROX TO THE ARPT. PRIOR TO REACHING 8000 FT; THE APCH CTLR ISSUED A CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH.