C172 pilot reported descending below the FAF crossing altitude during a practice VOR runway 25 appro...

Attributes
ACN	1200236
Time
Date	201408
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	OXR.Airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 8 Flight Crew Total 784 Flight Crew Type 651
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met Deviation - Altitude Overshoot Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT

Narrative:

I passed the final approach fix (FAF) well below specified minimum altitude while flying the oxr VOR 25 approach.I had not flown this approach for a long time; and chose to do so as part of maintaining general IFR proficiency. I failed to achieve a stabilized approach while on the approach segment leading to the cma VOR; which is the FAF. At one point I realized I was higher than intended; and started a too aggressive correction toward 2;000 ft; which is the FAF crossing minimum. By the time I realized I had failed to halt my descent at 2;000; the VOR was in the zone when neither the to nor the from flag was showing. Thus I thought I might already be passed the FAF. I was not sure I had passed the FAF. I was not sure I had passed the FAF below minimums until informed by ATC a few moments later.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 pilot reported descending below the FAF crossing altitude during a practice VOR Runway 25 approach to OXR in day VMC. ATC detected the error.

Narrative: I passed the final approach fix (FAF) well below specified minimum altitude while flying the OXR VOR 25 approach.I had not flown this approach for a long time; and chose to do so as part of maintaining general IFR proficiency. I failed to achieve a stabilized approach while on the approach segment leading to the CMA VOR; which is the FAF. At one point I realized I was higher than intended; and started a too aggressive correction toward 2;000 FT; which is the FAF crossing minimum. By the time I realized I had failed to halt my descent at 2;000; the VOR was in the zone when neither the TO nor the FROM flag was showing. Thus I thought I might already be passed the FAF. I was not sure I had passed the FAF. I was not sure I had passed the FAF below minimums until informed by ATC a few moments later.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

C172 pilot reported descending below the FAF crossing altitude during a practice VOR runway 25 approach to oxr in day VMC. ATC detected the error.