AN UNEXPECTED IFR APCH RESULTS IN CFTT AND A COMPLAINT THAT THE ATC APCH CTLR COULD HAVE POINTED THE ERROR OUT EARLIER.

Date: 2002-05 · Aircraft: Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-overshoot|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-cftt-cfit|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

AN UNEXPECTED IFR APCH RESULTS IN CFTT AND A COMPLAINT THAT THE ATC APCH CTLR COULD HAVE POINTED THE ERROR OUT EARLIER.

Narrative

WITH WX BRIEFINGS; I EXPECTED SAVANNAH; GA (MY SCHEDULED RTE STOP) TO BE VFR CONDITIONS BY THE TIME I ARRIVED. WHEN INFORMED BY SAV THAT THEY HAD GONE IFR; I HAD TO FIND AN APCH PLATE IMMEDIATELY. CONDITIONS AT THAT TIME WERE IMC; BUT I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 2 1/2 HRS IN SOLID IMC WITH FIRST TIME PAX WHO HAD NEVER BEEN IN A SMALL PLANE BEFORE. IN THE ENSUING CONFUSION; IF THE CTLR HAD CLRED ME TO 1600 FT TO INTERCEPT THE LOC; I MISSED THAT XMISSION. TO COMPOUND THE PROB; I READ THE APCH PLATE AS 1100 FT AND AT THAT ALT I BROKE CLR INTO VFR CONDITIONS. LINING UP ON THE LOC; I DRIFTED DOWN TO 900 FT ABOUT 6 MI OUT. AT THAT POINT; THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT I WAS WAY BELOW THE 1600 FT APCH ALT. I IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK UP INTO IMC TO 1600 FT AND INTERCEPTED THE GS THEN RPTED THE OM AND FINISHED THE APCH TO LNDG. I FEEL THAT WHEN I DSNDED BELOW THE 1600 FT APCH INTERCEPT ALT BY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT; THE CTLR COULD HAVE INFORMED ME AT THAT POINT. IN THOSE WX CONDITIONS; AND UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES; IT WAS NOT THE TIME FOR THE CTLR TO INFORM ME BELLIGERENTLY THAT I HAD BETTER FILL OUT A NASA FORM. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS TO HIM THAT I POLITELY ANSWERED AND CORRECTED THE APCH; FINISHING BY THE BOOK. HOWEVER; LET ME ADD THAT MOST CTLRS I HAVE DEALT WITH IN THE LAST 30 YRS HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL; ESPECIALLY IN ADVERSE FLT CONDITIONS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.