MIL ALT EXCURSION NEAR CAE; SC.

Narrative

DURING RUN-IN TO THE DROP ZONE; WE DSNDED OUT OF OUR CLRED ALT OF 3000 FT MSL TO 2000 FT MSL WITHOUT OBTAINING CLRNC FROM COLUMBIA APCH CTL. I BELIEVE THE PROB AROSE FROM TASK SATURATION CAUSED BY TSTM DODGING; AND TALKING ON 3 DIFFERENT RADIOS. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS NORMAL HABIT PATTERN. SCENARIO: WE WERE ON A LCL AIR DROP TRAINING SORTIE TO THE DROP ZONE. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TSTMS IN THE AREA; AND WE HAD ANOTHER C17A AS OUR WINGMAN. WE NORMALLY FLY AT 3000 FT MSL TO NORTH FIELD ON AN IFR CLRNC; AND EITHER OBTAIN A CRUISE CLRNC INTO THE DROP ZONE; OR CANCEL IFR SO WE CAN DSND TO 1000 FT AGL (OR LOWER) TO ACCOMPLISH THE DROP. WHILE COORDINATING A NEW DROP TIME WITH THE DROP ZONE CTLR AND ALTERING OUR FLT PATH AND OBTAINING REVISED ROUTING CLRNC; WE NEGLECTED TO COORDINATE FOR THE CRUISE CLRNC. WE WERE FOCUSING ON THE RADAR TO AVOID THE TSTMS; AND PER OUR NORMAL PROCS; WE STARTED OUR DSCNT TO 2000 FT MSL. APCH CALLED AND TOLD US WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 3000 FT MSL. WE APOLOGIZED; AND CANCELED IFR SINCE WE WERE IN VMC AND ONLY 10 MI FROM THE DROP ZONE. APCH ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CANCELLATION; AND THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. OUR OVERRIDING CONCERN WITH TSTM AVOIDANCE; AND THE RESULTING CHANGES IN ROUTING AND DROP TIMES CAUSED US TO ALTER OUR NORMAL HABIT OF EITHER CANCELING OR OBTAINING A CRUISE CLRNC. OUR SOLUTION TO HELP PREVENT A FURTHER RECURRENCE WAS TO BRIEF THE AIRDROP CREW MEMBERS IN THE UNIT ON THE DEV AND ITS CAUSES.