B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Fatigue
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
When descending we were cleared to 5;000 feet. We were in VMC conditions and started our descent; we were about 32 miles from the airport; in day VMC conditions when the controller asked our DME from the field. A second controller came on and told us to climb to 7;000 feet; which we started to do. We got to around 6;000 feet when we were again cleared back down to 5;000 feet. Though not on a named arrival there were still step down altitudes the last one being 7;000 feet till 25 DME. In day VMC I became complacent and with clearance to 5;000 feet from ATC; and 5;000 feet set in MCP I went to 5;000 feet a few miles to soon.No matter what the conditions are outside or what altitude a controller gives you you still must make the altitudes. In South America there are numerous arrivals unnamed with 'steps downs' defined only by DME and not fixed points. Fatigue definitely played a factor in this event. This was a stub flight from [a South American airport] after leaving Miami at midnight. So in our 9th hour on the back side of the clock we were a little tired.
We were given instructions to descend to 5;000 feet. The pilot flying read back the instructions. Shortly after reaching 5;000 feet the controller told us we were at the wrong altitude and that we should climb immediately to 8;000 feet.
During approach to South American airport; crew initiated descent earlier than the DME/altitude restriction for the airport's arrivals.