PLT OF A SMA TWIN PISTON ENG ACFT FAILED TO LEVEL AT ASSIGNED ALT DURING DSCNT. ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT.

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THE IFR FLT WAS ASSIGNED (CLRED) 'DSND TO AND MAINTAIN 15000 FT.' PLT'S MOTHER WAS BURIED 50 HRS PRIOR TO ALTDEV. AT FUNERAL SVC PLT DELIVERED A EULOGY MAKING THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE DOUBLY TRAUMATIC. ALTDEV DISCOVERED WHEN CTLR SAID 'SAY YOUR ALT' PLT IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A CLB. PLT DID NOT CORRECTLY EVALUATE THE MAGNITUDE OF HIS IMPAIRMENT. HOWEVER PLT DID ADVISE THE 2 PAX HE WOULDN'T MAKE THE FLT IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE SEVERE CLR CONDITIONS EXISTING IN ALMOST THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. PAX ASKED PLT TO CALL A NEARBY ARPT UNICOM TO FORWARD A TELEPHONE MESSAGE TO FRIENDS AT OUR DEST. PLT SHOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED THIS; DEMONSTRATING IMPAIRED JUDGEMENT. NEXT; PLT ADVISED CTR OF A LOUD NOISE OR WHISTLE ON COMS FREQ (UNICOM). CTR RECOGNIZES THIS AS AN ONGOING PROB TO THIS DATE. WAS THIS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK? ALSO; CTLR WAS NOT REQUIRED TO; BUT MIGHT HAVE RECOGNIZED AND ADVISED PLT OF THE DEV SOONER. THERE WAS NOT MUCH TFC ON THE FREQ. ALTHOUGH CITING 3 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS; PLT RECOGNIZES THE GRAVITY OF THE INCIDENT AND THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH HIM. FAILURE TO EVALUATE THE MAGNITUDE OF HIS IMPAIRMENT IS THE MAJOR CAUSE. REMEDIAL TRAINING OR PUNITIVE MEASURES IS NOT THE ANSWER. THE PLT'S MOTHER WILL NOT DIE AGAIN.