Narrative:

I was flying direct to beckley VOR when ZID asked if I wanted the transition off of beckley to the localizer, into bluefield (mercer county) airport. I had told him yes, I would take it. Then he came back about 5 mins later and said he couldn't give it, but expect radar vectors to the localizer. Just before crossing the beckley VOR, he told me to intercept the radial 175 degrees off the VOR and intercept the localizer. As I was crossing over the VOR, he told me to descend down to 5700 ft MSL. Instead I descended to 5200 ft MSL, 500 ft below ATC's request. I had remembered as I was descending down into the top of the clouds. At that time, I added full power and climbed to 5700 ft MSL. The problem started when ZID cleared me for the transition. I looked down onto the approach plate and it said 5000 ft MEA for the transition. Then he told me to still intercept the radial for the transition. All along I had 5000 ft in my head from the approach plate. I feel the problem would have never arose if ATC wouldn't have cleared me for the transition. Please take a look at the approach plate ILS 23 into bluefield and you will see 5000 ft for the MEA off of beckley VOR radial 175 degrees.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ASKED IF WANTED TRANSITION TO LOC THEN LATER TOLD NO COULD NOT HAVE IT. ALTDEV.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING DIRECT TO BECKLEY VOR WHEN ZID ASKED IF I WANTED THE TRANSITION OFF OF BECKLEY TO THE LOC, INTO BLUEFIELD (MERCER COUNTY) ARPT. I HAD TOLD HIM YES, I WOULD TAKE IT. THEN HE CAME BACK ABOUT 5 MINS LATER AND SAID HE COULDN'T GIVE IT, BUT EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO THE LOC. JUST BEFORE XING THE BECKLEY VOR, HE TOLD ME TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL 175 DEGS OFF THE VOR AND INTERCEPT THE LOC. AS I WAS XING OVER THE VOR, HE TOLD ME TO DSND DOWN TO 5700 FT MSL. INSTEAD I DSNDED TO 5200 FT MSL, 500 FT BELOW ATC'S REQUEST. I HAD REMEMBERED AS I WAS DSNDING DOWN INTO THE TOP OF THE CLOUDS. AT THAT TIME, I ADDED FULL PWR AND CLBED TO 5700 FT MSL. THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN ZID CLRED ME FOR THE TRANSITION. I LOOKED DOWN ONTO THE APCH PLATE AND IT SAID 5000 FT MEA FOR THE TRANSITION. THEN HE TOLD ME TO STILL INTERCEPT THE RADIAL FOR THE TRANSITION. ALL ALONG I HAD 5000 FT IN MY HEAD FROM THE APCH PLATE. I FEEL THE PROBLEM WOULD HAVE NEVER AROSE IF ATC WOULDN'T HAVE CLRED ME FOR THE TRANSITION. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE APCH PLATE ILS 23 INTO BLUEFIELD AND YOU WILL SEE 5000 FT FOR THE MEA OFF OF BECKLEY VOR RADIAL 175 DEGS.

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.