ACR LGT ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING RADAR VECTORS FOR VISUAL APCH TO MIA. ALSO UNAUTH LNDG. FLT CREW FAILED TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ.

Narrative

WE WERE AT 6000' ON A HDG OF 280 DEGS AND BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH FOR RWY 9R. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO 4000' AND TOLD TO EXPECT A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9L. I INITIATED THE DSCNT AND WHILE THE F/O WAS ENTERING THE NEW RWY INTO THE FMC; I NOTICED THAT 6000' WAS STILL IN THE ALT WINDOW (MY RESPONSIBILITY). I ASKED THE F/O IF WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO 3000'. HE AGREED THAT WE HAD AND I THEN ENTERED 3000' IN THE ALT WINDOW. SHORTLY AFTER THIS WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 360 DEGS. PRIOR TO ROLLING OUT ON THE HDG AND DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 3600'; THE CTLR DIRECTED US TO TURN TO 270 DEGS AND CLB BACK TO 4000' AND INFORMED US THAT WE HAD ONLY BEEN CLRED TO 4000'. THE F/O OBSERVED AN ACFT BELOW AND WELL CLR ON AN APCH TO RWY 9R. THE CTLR WAS OBVIOUSLY UPSET WITH US; AND AFTER VECTORING US TO THE N AGAIN; CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9L AFTER WE RPTED THE RWY IN SIGHT. IN LIGHT OF ALL THE CONFUSION; ALTHOUGH WE THINK WE DID; WE ARE NOT CERTAIN THAT WE SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQ FOR LNDG CLRNC. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF THIS; HOWEVER; WE WERE ONLY ASKED TO CALL THE AREA MGR APCH CTL; WHO SAID NO VIOLATION WOULD BE FILED. IN MY 25 YR CAREER I HAVE LANDED AT THIS ARPT HUNDREDS OF TIMES. WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE WERE BOTH USED TO 3000' AS BEING THE USUAL INITIAL APCH ALT. ALTHOUGH I AM NEW ON THIS ACFT WITH A 2-M CREW AND WITH LESS THAN 100 HRS IN TYPE; I MAKE NO EXCUSES. I HAVE BEEN A CAPT FOR 17 YRS AND CONSIDER MYSELF A PROFESSIONAL AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT. ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK IT HAD ANY BEARING ON THE SITUATION; WE HAD JUST BECOME AWARE OF THE COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT TO CUT CITIES FROM THE SCHEDULE; REDUCE FLYING AND LAY OFF PERSONNEL.