Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight from pierre, sd, to hayden, co, on feb/sat/94. On departing pierre in a 340 cessna, I climbed to 16000 ft and was on top or between cloud layers. At approximately laramie, wy, I left ZDV and contacted flight watch for a WX update. They informed me that the hayden area was reporting ceilings of 500-1000 ft and light snow. Between laramie, wy, and hayden, co, ZDV cleared me to 14000 ft. At that time ZDV asked me if I wanted a VFR or IFR approach to hayden. At that time, I assumed the WX had improved and told center I would take VFR but at that time I was still in IMC conditions. At approximately 10 DME from hayden VOR I asked ZDV for a lower and was advised that at my position they could not give me lower. I maintained heading and approximately 2.5 mi past the VOR, center cleared me from VOR to hayden airport via ILS 10. I circled and intercepted the localizer and started to descend. In beginning the descent I switched DME to ILS frequency and determined that from my altitude, in a piston aircraft, I would not be able to descend quickly enough to intercept the GS and complete the approach. At this time I declared a missed approach and began to circle back to the VOR. On declaring missed approach center asked me my altitude, I responded at 13700 ft. Center then informed me I was not cleared at that altitude. There was another aircraft in the area of which I had visual contact. I was then instructed to climb and maintain 14000 ft, go to the VOR and hold. While holding, the other aircraft flew the ILS 10 approach, descended and landed. We were then cleared again for the ILS 10 approach, descended and obtained visual contact of the airport, landed and canceled with ZDV. I called ZDV on the ground, as instructed, and was informed that they were reviewing the tapes to determine if I was in possible violation for altitude deviation. At this time I am unsure if ZDV is going to file a violation. I feel part of the contributing factor for this problem was ZDV's not allowing me to descend prior to arriving at the VOR (the nos approach plate indicates 13200 ft to 11900 ft as minimum altitude for my position inside the 10 DME circle) and their implying that I should hurry my approach because of other traffic. In retrospect I should have, and will in the future, advise center immediately when given a clearance that I don't feel I am able to comply with, rather than trying to comply so as to ease center's workload. I would like to conclude by stating in my 19 plus yrs of flying, that I have a spotless record of no violations, accidents, or incidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT DSNDS LOWER THAN ASSIGNED WHEN CLRED FOR APCH. CLRNC INTERP.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT FROM PIERRE, SD, TO HAYDEN, CO, ON FEB/SAT/94. ON DEPARTING PIERRE IN A 340 CESSNA, I CLBED TO 16000 FT AND WAS ON TOP OR BTWN CLOUD LAYERS. AT APPROX LARAMIE, WY, I LEFT ZDV AND CONTACTED FLT WATCH FOR A WX UPDATE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE HAYDEN AREA WAS RPTING CEILINGS OF 500-1000 FT AND LIGHT SNOW. BTWN LARAMIE, WY, AND HAYDEN, CO, ZDV CLRED ME TO 14000 FT. AT THAT TIME ZDV ASKED ME IF I WANTED A VFR OR IFR APCH TO HAYDEN. AT THAT TIME, I ASSUMED THE WX HAD IMPROVED AND TOLD CTR I WOULD TAKE VFR BUT AT THAT TIME I WAS STILL IN IMC CONDITIONS. AT APPROX 10 DME FROM HAYDEN VOR I ASKED ZDV FOR A LOWER AND WAS ADVISED THAT AT MY POS THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME LOWER. I MAINTAINED HDG AND APPROX 2.5 MI PAST THE VOR, CTR CLRED ME FROM VOR TO HAYDEN ARPT VIA ILS 10. I CIRCLED AND INTERCEPTED THE LOC AND STARTED TO DSND. IN BEGINNING THE DSCNT I SWITCHED DME TO ILS FREQ AND DETERMINED THAT FROM MY ALT, IN A PISTON ACFT, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DSND QUICKLY ENOUGH TO INTERCEPT THE GS AND COMPLETE THE APCH. AT THIS TIME I DECLARED A MISSED APCH AND BEGAN TO CIRCLE BACK TO THE VOR. ON DECLARING MISSED APCH CTR ASKED ME MY ALT, I RESPONDED AT 13700 FT. CTR THEN INFORMED ME I WAS NOT CLRED AT THAT ALT. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT IN THE AREA OF WHICH I HAD VISUAL CONTACT. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 14000 FT, GO TO THE VOR AND HOLD. WHILE HOLDING, THE OTHER ACFT FLEW THE ILS 10 APCH, DSNDED AND LANDED. WE WERE THEN CLRED AGAIN FOR THE ILS 10 APCH, DSNDED AND OBTAINED VISUAL CONTACT OF THE ARPT, LANDED AND CANCELED WITH ZDV. I CALLED ZDV ON THE GND, AS INSTRUCTED, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE REVIEWING THE TAPES TO DETERMINE IF I WAS IN POSSIBLE VIOLATION FOR ALTDEV. AT THIS TIME I AM UNSURE IF ZDV IS GOING TO FILE A VIOLATION. I FEEL PART OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR FOR THIS PROB WAS ZDV'S NOT ALLOWING ME TO DSND PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT THE VOR (THE NOS APCH PLATE INDICATES 13200 FT TO 11900 FT AS MINIMUM ALT FOR MY POS INSIDE THE 10 DME CIRCLE) AND THEIR IMPLYING THAT I SHOULD HURRY MY APCH BECAUSE OF OTHER TFC. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE, AND WILL IN THE FUTURE, ADVISE CTR IMMEDIATELY WHEN GIVEN A CLRNC THAT I DON'T FEEL I AM ABLE TO COMPLY WITH, RATHER THAN TRYING TO COMPLY SO AS TO EASE CTR'S WORKLOAD. I WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE BY STATING IN MY 19 PLUS YRS OF FLYING, THAT I HAVE A SPOTLESS RECORD OF NO VIOLATIONS, ACCIDENTS, OR INCIDENTS.

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.