Narrative:

I am a student in training to get my instrument instructor license. I was practicing a localizer back course and was cleared for the approach outside of the FAF. As we began to descend from 3;000 MSL; we entered IMC. I began to concentrate too much on the navigation instruments instead of my altimeter. When I finally looked at my altimeter; I did not immediately recognize that I had gone below the minimums of the approach. I descended below the FAF minimum of 2;200 MSL and the cfii in the airplane had to take the controls and climb us back up. To fix this problem; I will have to increase my rate of scanning the instruments and make sure I do not fixate on one instrument. I will continually remind myself while on an approach of the altitudes I am cleared for and make sure I do not descend below them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 CFII and his student report descent below the FAF altitude before reaching the fix. The student was having trouble with altitude in actual IMC and the instructor was distracted with instructing.

Narrative: I am a student in training to get my Instrument Instructor license. I was practicing a LOC BC and was cleared for the approach outside of the FAF. As we began to descend from 3;000 MSL; we entered IMC. I began to concentrate too much on the navigation instruments instead of my altimeter. When I finally looked at my altimeter; I did not immediately recognize that I had gone below the minimums of the approach. I descended below the FAF minimum of 2;200 MSL and the CFII in the airplane had to take the controls and climb us back up. To fix this problem; I will have to increase my rate of scanning the instruments and make sure I do not fixate on one instrument. I will continually remind myself while on an approach of the altitudes I am cleared for and make sure I do not descend below them.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.