A C172 pilot descended below his assigned altitude while attempting a contact approach in cloudy con...

Attributes
ACN	386719
Time
Date	199711
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pie airport : clw
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : contact
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 365 flight time type : 365
ASRS Report	386719
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Returning to clw from vnc. Radar vectored by tpa approach control 119.65. Requested a contact approach into clw while still 20 mi out. Visibility over the bay had improved to VFR. I could see over the pinellas peninsula that it was scattered and hazy. The controller granted the contact approach and asked if I was going to work around the clouds in the area. I say that I would. As I made landfall, I descended to 1000 ft without notifying the controller of my altitude change from 1600 ft. I had assumed that I could maneuver to remain clear of clouds and still keep visual reference to the ground for the contact approach. I was given a frequency change to 125.3. Upon calling up the new controller, I was queried about my altitude and asked if I was going to cancel IFR for VFR conditions. At that moment I could not go VFR because the cloud bases had gone below 1000 ft over a congested area. The controller proceeded to reprimand me over the radio. He informed me that 1600 ft was the minimum radar vectoring altitude and I had violated FAA regulations for IFR flight below my assigned altitude. While the reprimand was in progress, I proceeded back to 1600 ft. The controller vectored me to 2 mi from clw. An opening in the clouds showed the field and I descended to tpa of 1000 ft, after I notified the controller that I had the field in sight. Canceled IFR, and landed uneventfully. My objective was to experience what a contact approach would do for me. I thought by requesting a contact approach I would help the controllers out with some of the workload and challenge myself. I erred in my understanding of what this approach is used for. I'm still learning the IFR environment and will continue to do so. I do feel that the controller showed very little professionalism in his communications with me and my error. I do not remember being warned of a safety alert or impending danger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT DSNDED BELOW HIS ASSIGNED ALT WHILE ATTEMPTING A CONTACT APCH IN CLOUDY CONDITIONS. HE WAS UPSET BY THE CTLR'S REPRIMAND.

Narrative: RETURNING TO CLW FROM VNC. RADAR VECTORED BY TPA APCH CTL 119.65. REQUESTED A CONTACT APCH INTO CLW WHILE STILL 20 MI OUT. VISIBILITY OVER THE BAY HAD IMPROVED TO VFR. I COULD SEE OVER THE PINELLAS PENINSULA THAT IT WAS SCATTERED AND HAZY. THE CTLR GRANTED THE CONTACT APCH AND ASKED IF I WAS GOING TO WORK AROUND THE CLOUDS IN THE AREA. I SAY THAT I WOULD. AS I MADE LANDFALL, I DSNDED TO 1000 FT WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE CTLR OF MY ALT CHANGE FROM 1600 FT. I HAD ASSUMED THAT I COULD MANEUVER TO REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS AND STILL KEEP VISUAL REF TO THE GND FOR THE CONTACT APCH. I WAS GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO 125.3. UPON CALLING UP THE NEW CTLR, I WAS QUERIED ABOUT MY ALT AND ASKED IF I WAS GOING TO CANCEL IFR FOR VFR CONDITIONS. AT THAT MOMENT I COULD NOT GO VFR BECAUSE THE CLOUD BASES HAD GONE BELOW 1000 FT OVER A CONGESTED AREA. THE CTLR PROCEEDED TO REPRIMAND ME OVER THE RADIO. HE INFORMED ME THAT 1600 FT WAS THE MINIMUM RADAR VECTORING ALT AND I HAD VIOLATED FAA REGS FOR IFR FLT BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALT. WHILE THE REPRIMAND WAS IN PROGRESS, I PROCEEDED BACK TO 1600 FT. THE CTLR VECTORED ME TO 2 MI FROM CLW. AN OPENING IN THE CLOUDS SHOWED THE FIELD AND I DSNDED TO TPA OF 1000 FT, AFTER I NOTIFIED THE CTLR THAT I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. CANCELED IFR, AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. MY OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPERIENCE WHAT A CONTACT APCH WOULD DO FOR ME. I THOUGHT BY REQUESTING A CONTACT APCH I WOULD HELP THE CTLRS OUT WITH SOME OF THE WORKLOAD AND CHALLENGE MYSELF. I ERRED IN MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THIS APCH IS USED FOR. I'M STILL LEARNING THE IFR ENVIRONMENT AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. I DO FEEL THAT THE CTLR SHOWED VERY LITTLE PROFESSIONALISM IN HIS COMS WITH ME AND MY ERROR. I DO NOT REMEMBER BEING WARNED OF A SAFETY ALERT OR IMPENDING DANGER.

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.

A C172 pilot descended below his assigned altitude while attempting a contact approach in cloudy conditions. He was upset by the controller's reprimand.