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C182 pilot descended below charted altitude while attempting a GPS approach to runway 30 at mce, in 100 ft overcast, one quarter mi visibility WX conditions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 565506 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200211 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mce.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 900 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Fog |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sck.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach ground : maintenance |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument non precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2200 flight time type : 2100 |
| ASRS Report | 565506 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment : msaw atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Just after passing rooth intersection at 2000 ft in VMC, I was cleared by stockton approach for the GPS runway 30 approach to mce airport. I flew the transition from rooth to chowa at 2000 ft as published and turned inbound toward coope and the airport. Instead of maintaining 2000 ft to coope as published, I began a descent to the MDA at chowa. Stockton gave me a low altitude alert when I had descended to about 900 ft and into the top of a fog layer. I climbed back to 2000 ft and continued the approach as published. Prior to starting the approach, I was distraction by a changing appreciation of the WX at mce and did not do a careful briefing of the approach. Good radar coverage and an alert controller saved the day. I will hereafter always carefully brief every approach.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C182 PLT DSNDED BELOW CHARTED ALT WHILE ATTEMPTING A GPS APCH TO RWY 30 AT MCE, IN 100 FT OVCST, ONE QUARTER MI VISIBILITY WX CONDITIONS.
Narrative: JUST AFTER PASSING ROOTH INTXN AT 2000 FT IN VMC, I WAS CLRED BY STOCKTON APCH FOR THE GPS RWY 30 APCH TO MCE ARPT. I FLEW THE TRANSITION FROM ROOTH TO CHOWA AT 2000 FT AS PUBLISHED AND TURNED INBOUND TOWARD COOPE AND THE ARPT. INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING 2000 FT TO COOPE AS PUBLISHED, I BEGAN A DSCNT TO THE MDA AT CHOWA. STOCKTON GAVE ME A LOW ALT ALERT WHEN I HAD DSNDED TO ABOUT 900 FT AND INTO THE TOP OF A FOG LAYER. I CLBED BACK TO 2000 FT AND CONTINUED THE APCH AS PUBLISHED. PRIOR TO STARTING THE APCH, I WAS DISTR BY A CHANGING APPRECIATION OF THE WX AT MCE AND DID NOT DO A CAREFUL BRIEFING OF THE APCH. GOOD RADAR COVERAGE AND AN ALERT CTLR SAVED THE DAY. I WILL HEREAFTER ALWAYS CAREFULLY BRIEF EVERY APCH.
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.