Reporter loses control of aircraft altitude during attempts to read approach plate without cockpit l...

Attributes
ACN	314604
Time
Date	199508
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : psi airport : 7d2
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 21 flight time total : 420 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	314604
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed xa:15 hours earlier after full day of camping and hiking. IMC almost entire route home. Autoplt inoperative, think I was tired. First night flying in about 9 months. On way outbound the previous day, noticed dome light left on by previous pilot. Turned off. It turns out the C182 has a toggle switch that illuminates either panel posts or the dome flood light. Didn't determine that until I landed. Tried several times on way home to get dome light on -- unsuccessful. Flying solo, no one to help with lighting, monitor and check altitude, etc. The problem was that I had a flashlight strung around my neck I was using to illuminate the approach plate on the yoke clip. After being cleared for the VOR-a into 7d2, I was rechking initial altitude, while finishing the turn onto the VOR radial (124 degree). IMC at the time. Couldn't get flood/dome light to work, so had head down and was holding flashlight to see. Next thing I know, I look up, see lights of ground, in about a 35-40 degree left bank, about 600-700 ft below minimum altitude for that segment. Recovered, initiated climb (back into IMC) just as dtw approach asked flight conditions (reply IMC) and then said check altitude. Still outside perls intersection. Flustered, I flew the remainder of the approach fine. Lessons: get lighting set up before critical approach phase of IFR flight, know your plane. Memorize approach altitudes, fixes on plate earlier in flight. Keep scan up while looking at plate and chart. Only took 15 seconds or so to get this far out of control, what if lower ceiling was in place, would I have recognized situation in time to recover?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR LOSES CTL OF ACFT ALT DURING ATTEMPTS TO READ APCH PLATE WITHOUT COCKPIT LIGHTING.

Narrative: DEPARTED XA:15 HRS EARLIER AFTER FULL DAY OF CAMPING AND HIKING. IMC ALMOST ENTIRE ROUTE HOME. AUTOPLT INOP, THINK I WAS TIRED. FIRST NIGHT FLYING IN ABOUT 9 MONTHS. ON WAY OUTBOUND THE PREVIOUS DAY, NOTICED DOME LIGHT LEFT ON BY PREVIOUS PLT. TURNED OFF. IT TURNS OUT THE C182 HAS A TOGGLE SWITCH THAT ILLUMINATES EITHER PANEL POSTS OR THE DOME FLOOD LIGHT. DIDN'T DETERMINE THAT UNTIL I LANDED. TRIED SEVERAL TIMES ON WAY HOME TO GET DOME LIGHT ON -- UNSUCCESSFUL. FLYING SOLO, NO ONE TO HELP WITH LIGHTING, MONITOR AND CHK ALT, ETC. THE PROB WAS THAT I HAD A FLASHLIGHT STRUNG AROUND MY NECK I WAS USING TO ILLUMINATE THE APCH PLATE ON THE YOKE CLIP. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE VOR-A INTO 7D2, I WAS RECHKING INITIAL ALT, WHILE FINISHING THE TURN ONTO THE VOR RADIAL (124 DEG). IMC AT THE TIME. COULDN'T GET FLOOD/DOME LIGHT TO WORK, SO HAD HEAD DOWN AND WAS HOLDING FLASHLIGHT TO SEE. NEXT THING I KNOW, I LOOK UP, SEE LIGHTS OF GND, IN ABOUT A 35-40 DEG L BANK, ABOUT 600-700 FT BELOW MINIMUM ALT FOR THAT SEGMENT. RECOVERED, INITIATED CLB (BACK INTO IMC) JUST AS DTW APCH ASKED FLT CONDITIONS (REPLY IMC) AND THEN SAID CHK ALT. STILL OUTSIDE PERLS INTXN. FLUSTERED, I FLEW THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH FINE. LESSONS: GET LIGHTING SET UP BEFORE CRITICAL APCH PHASE OF IFR FLT, KNOW YOUR PLANE. MEMORIZE APCH ALTS, FIXES ON PLATE EARLIER IN FLT. KEEP SCAN UP WHILE LOOKING AT PLATE AND CHART. ONLY TOOK 15 SECONDS OR SO TO GET THIS FAR OUT OF CTL, WHAT IF LOWER CEILING WAS IN PLACE, WOULD I HAVE RECOGNIZED SIT IN TIME TO RECOVER?

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.

Reporter loses control of aircraft altitude during attempts to read approach plate without cockpit lighting.