Narrative:

Approximately 20 NM north of the tth VORTAC, at 7000' on V192 in VMC above an overcast (the top of which was about 2500' MSL). The conditions at hullman regulation'l airport, terre haute, were reported to be measured ceiling 600' with 6 mi visibility in fog. IFR flight plan msn to huf, single pilot operation. On preflight preparation I had placed on my yoke mounted clipboard what I thought were all the approach charts for huf. At the above time I copied the huf ATIS and learned that the approach in use was the localizer backcourse 23 as opposed to the ILS 5 or one other which I had available, but I found I did not have have the appropriate chart. My main vol of the communication arwys manual was on the floor next to me, but in opening it I realized that I had not transferred all the in charts to it (I normally do not carry nonadjacent states when flying locally, which is most of my flying). I immediately realized that the other states of my commercial coverage were in a ring binder in my briefcase just behind the rear seats. I decided to try to retrieve the case, rather than admit my lack of chart over the radio. First I disengaged myself from lap board, headset wires and safety belt shoulder harness. Knowing I would shift the cg aft in leaning back, and thus climb and lose airspeed, I first entered a shallow dive, dropping about 150' and accelerating to just below the yellow arc. With the right seat back folded down, I leaned back, put one hand on a rear seat, reached for the briefcase and moved it to the rear seat. As expected the declining RPM and wind noise showed I was indeed climbing, but back in my seat I saw that I was only 200' above my assigned altitude, but climbing and decelerating rapidly. I nosed down abruptly and then (and here's the mistake that makes this report necessary, although the others have already made it a good idea) immediately started trying to retrieve the binder from the brief case. The case and its other contents were not particularly cooperative and it took many seconds to get the binder out. In the meantime, the descent continued right through my assigned altitude. When I finally got on top of things I was 350' low. After getting reestablished at 7000', I reorganized the cockpit and proceeded with the approach, which went well. There are many lessons to be learned here. It was just pure absent-mindedness that put that binder behind the rear seats. Never again will I put anything having to do with flight back there, and especially not in single pilot operations. I probably should have just admitted that I didn't have the chart available. That climb could have been disastrous--especially if the briefcase had not been easy to get or had I got otherwise tangled up back there. Finally, I should have gotten reestablished at my assigned altitude before fumbling in the case--I had plenty of time to prepare the approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLYING SINGLE PLT IFR HAS ALT DEVIATION WHILE TRYING TO RETRIEVE APCH CHARTS FROM HIS CASE IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT.

Narrative: APPROX 20 NM N OF THE TTH VORTAC, AT 7000' ON V192 IN VMC ABOVE AN OVCST (THE TOP OF WHICH WAS ABOUT 2500' MSL). THE CONDITIONS AT HULLMAN REG'L ARPT, TERRE HAUTE, WERE RPTED TO BE MEASURED CEILING 600' WITH 6 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG. IFR FLT PLAN MSN TO HUF, SINGLE PLT OPERATION. ON PREFLT PREPARATION I HAD PLACED ON MY YOKE MOUNTED CLIPBOARD WHAT I THOUGHT WERE ALL THE APCH CHARTS FOR HUF. AT THE ABOVE TIME I COPIED THE HUF ATIS AND LEARNED THAT THE APCH IN USE WAS THE LOC BACKCOURSE 23 AS OPPOSED TO THE ILS 5 OR ONE OTHER WHICH I HAD AVAILABLE, BUT I FOUND I DID NOT HAVE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE CHART. MY MAIN VOL OF THE COM ARWYS MANUAL WAS ON THE FLOOR NEXT TO ME, BUT IN OPENING IT I REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT TRANSFERRED ALL THE IN CHARTS TO IT (I NORMALLY DO NOT CARRY NONADJACENT STATES WHEN FLYING LOCALLY, WHICH IS MOST OF MY FLYING). I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT THE OTHER STATES OF MY COMMERCIAL COVERAGE WERE IN A RING BINDER IN MY BRIEFCASE JUST BEHIND THE REAR SEATS. I DECIDED TO TRY TO RETRIEVE THE CASE, RATHER THAN ADMIT MY LACK OF CHART OVER THE RADIO. FIRST I DISENGAGED MYSELF FROM LAP BOARD, HEADSET WIRES AND SAFETY BELT SHOULDER HARNESS. KNOWING I WOULD SHIFT THE CG AFT IN LEANING BACK, AND THUS CLB AND LOSE AIRSPD, I FIRST ENTERED A SHALLOW DIVE, DROPPING ABOUT 150' AND ACCELERATING TO JUST BELOW THE YELLOW ARC. WITH THE RIGHT SEAT BACK FOLDED DOWN, I LEANED BACK, PUT ONE HAND ON A REAR SEAT, REACHED FOR THE BRIEFCASE AND MOVED IT TO THE REAR SEAT. AS EXPECTED THE DECLINING RPM AND WIND NOISE SHOWED I WAS INDEED CLBING, BUT BACK IN MY SEAT I SAW THAT I WAS ONLY 200' ABOVE MY ASSIGNED ALT, BUT CLBING AND DECELERATING RAPIDLY. I NOSED DOWN ABRUPTLY AND THEN (AND HERE'S THE MISTAKE THAT MAKES THIS RPT NECESSARY, ALTHOUGH THE OTHERS HAVE ALREADY MADE IT A GOOD IDEA) IMMEDIATELY STARTED TRYING TO RETRIEVE THE BINDER FROM THE BRIEF CASE. THE CASE AND ITS OTHER CONTENTS WERE NOT PARTICULARLY COOPERATIVE AND IT TOOK MANY SECS TO GET THE BINDER OUT. IN THE MEANTIME, THE DSCNT CONTINUED RIGHT THROUGH MY ASSIGNED ALT. WHEN I FINALLY GOT ON TOP OF THINGS I WAS 350' LOW. AFTER GETTING REESTABLISHED AT 7000', I REORGANIZED THE COCKPIT AND PROCEEDED WITH THE APCH, WHICH WENT WELL. THERE ARE MANY LESSONS TO BE LEARNED HERE. IT WAS JUST PURE ABSENT-MINDEDNESS THAT PUT THAT BINDER BEHIND THE REAR SEATS. NEVER AGAIN WILL I PUT ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH FLT BACK THERE, AND ESPECIALLY NOT IN SINGLE PLT OPS. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE JUST ADMITTED THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE CHART AVAILABLE. THAT CLB COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS--ESPECIALLY IF THE BRIEFCASE HAD NOT BEEN EASY TO GET OR HAD I GOT OTHERWISE TANGLED UP BACK THERE. FINALLY, I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN REESTABLISHED AT MY ASSIGNED ALT BEFORE FUMBLING IN THE CASE--I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO PREPARE THE APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.