Narrative:

While fling on the returning leg of a round trip flight from cdw/essex county, nj to stewart/newburgh airport, ny 4 back I was warned by ny approach of their radar showing a low altitude alert on 2 occasions. Both alerts were sounded while I was flying the localizer 22 approach into cdw. Contributing factors: the WX on the trip up to stewart was good VFR although I was filing IFR for practice. Figuring the WX would continue to be good for the return leg, I did not check WX for the return leg while I was on the ground at stewart. To my great surprise, the WX at caldwell had gone down to 1000' ceiling. I had never performed an INS approach in actual conditions and was not fully prepared for the process. I was vectored to the final approach course and cleared for the approach. The final approach fix is defined by a radial off of nearby teb VOR. From what I am remember I had this point idented before it started my descent to 800' MSL (the altitude I believed to be the MDA for the approach). Again from what I remember my first low altitude alert warning from the controller came as I was descending through about 1100'. I remember looking at my altitude and at my approach plate and not being able to understand what had gone wrong. Thinking I was too low for some reason, I stopped my descent at 1000'. About 1 min later, right before I spotted the airport, I got another low altitude warning. To this day, I cannot understand why I got the 2 low altitude alerts from approach. Clearly I should have seen much better prepared by getting a current WX briefing before flying my return leg. It would have helped the situation if FSS briefers were required to inform any PF an IFR flight plan WX conditions are actual IFR are not. If I had been told this by the briefer when I filed IFR for my return leg in stewart, I would have been far more prepared for the experience. Also requiring that pilot must get instruction in actual INS conditions before being allowed to get their INS ratings could help give pilot the necessary respect for INS conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT GIVEN 2 LOW ALT ALERTS ON INS APCH.

Narrative: WHILE FLING ON THE RETURNING LEG OF A ROUND TRIP FLT FROM CDW/ESSEX COUNTY, NJ TO STEWART/NEWBURGH ARPT, NY 4 BACK I WAS WARNED BY NY APCH OF THEIR RADAR SHOWING A LOW ALT ALERT ON 2 OCCASIONS. BOTH ALERTS WERE SOUNDED WHILE I WAS FLYING THE LOC 22 APCH INTO CDW. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE WX ON THE TRIP UP TO STEWART WAS GOOD VFR ALTHOUGH I WAS FILING IFR FOR PRACTICE. FIGURING THE WX WOULD CONTINUE TO BE GOOD FOR THE RETURN LEG, I DID NOT CHK WX FOR THE RETURN LEG WHILE I WAS ON THE GND AT STEWART. TO MY GREAT SURPRISE, THE WX AT CALDWELL HAD GONE DOWN TO 1000' CEILING. I HAD NEVER PERFORMED AN INS APCH IN ACTUAL CONDITIONS AND WAS NOT FULLY PREPARED FOR THE PROCESS. I WAS VECTORED TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE FINAL APCH FIX IS DEFINED BY A RADIAL OFF OF NEARBY TEB VOR. FROM WHAT I AM REMEMBER I HAD THIS POINT IDENTED BEFORE IT STARTED MY DSNT TO 800' MSL (THE ALT I BELIEVED TO BE THE MDA FOR THE APCH). AGAIN FROM WHAT I REMEMBER MY FIRST LOW ALT ALERT WARNING FROM THE CTLR CAME AS I WAS DSNDING THROUGH ABOUT 1100'. I REMEMBER LOOKING AT MY ALT AND AT MY APCH PLATE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD GONE WRONG. THINKING I WAS TOO LOW FOR SOME REASON, I STOPPED MY DSNT AT 1000'. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, RIGHT BEFORE I SPOTTED THE ARPT, I GOT ANOTHER LOW ALT WARNING. TO THIS DAY, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY I GOT THE 2 LOW ALT ALERTS FROM APCH. CLEARLY I SHOULD HAVE SEEN MUCH BETTER PREPARED BY GETTING A CURRENT WX BRIEFING BEFORE FLYING MY RETURN LEG. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED THE SITUATION IF FSS BRIEFERS WERE REQUIRED TO INFORM ANY PF AN IFR FLT PLAN WX CONDITIONS ARE ACTUAL IFR ARE NOT. IF I HAD BEEN TOLD THIS BY THE BRIEFER WHEN I FILED IFR FOR MY RETURN LEG IN STEWART, I WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR MORE PREPARED FOR THE EXPERIENCE. ALSO REQUIRING THAT PLT MUST GET INSTRUCTION IN ACTUAL INS CONDITIONS BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO GET THEIR INS RATINGS COULD HELP GIVE PLT THE NECESSARY RESPECT FOR INS CONDITIONS.

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.