PLT OF SMA SINGLE ENG LAND PVT ACFT DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED FLT DURING DSCNT IN ANTICIPATION OF A FAMILIAR APCH.

Narrative

I WAS PIC IN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ON IFR FLT PLAN VFR ON TOP AT 9500 ON V388 EBOUND TO PSP. INTENDED LNDG: PSP APCH CTL CLRED ME TO DSND TO 7000 AND LOOK FOR ARPT (ATIS RWY 13R AND 21 IN USE) BUT WAS TOO HIGH AND IN MODERATE TURB AND SMOG TO SEE ARPT. I REQUESTED VECTORS TO VOR B PSP APCH 290 DEG RADIAL. (I'VE DONE THIS MANY TIMES WITHOUT ANY PROBS) AND REQUESTED RWY 31L. WIND DECREASING 090 DEGS/10 KTS -- THEN CLRED TO 5000 HDG 110 DEGS ABEAM PSP. I AGAIN REQUESTED VOR B APCH TO PSP AND DIRECT TRM VOR HOPING FOR RWY 31L AND I ASSUMED I WAS CLRED TO DSND TO 4000 FOR THAT VECTOR AND VOR B PSP. I WAS IN MODERATE TURB STILL ASSUMING THAT VFR ON TOP WAS SUPERSEDED BY 'RADAR CONTACT' AND VECTORS TO TRM AT 4000 FT. THEN; I WAS CLRED TO LAND VISUALLY ON 13R AND GIVEN HDGS AND DSCNT APPROVED BUT I STATED 'TOO HIGH -- 4 MI FROM ARPT - - REQUEST EXTEND HDG 110 DEG TO INTERCEPT FINAL APCH VOR B PSP' AND THEN WAS GIVEN R TURNS HDG TO RWY 31L. SINCE I HAD VISUAL CONTACT; TWR CLRED TO LAND AND THEN LANDED ON 31L WITHOUT A PROB AND WINDS HAD DECREASED TO 090 DEGS/7 KTS. I HAD DIFFICULTY LOCATING CLOSEST TXWY TO FBO AND MY TIE-DOWN. MADE 180 DEG TURN ON TXWY AFTER CLRED BY GND CTL AND TIED DOWN. TWR CHIEF TALKED TO ME REF 'DSNDED BELOW 5000 WITHOUT APPROVAL.'