C172 pilot reports being cleared for the RNAV runway 25 approach to 0VG from the northeast and desce...

Attributes
ACN	1032679
Time
Date	201208
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ZID.ARTCC
State Reference	IN
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30 Flight Crew Total 125 Flight Crew Type 125
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT

Narrative:

I; the pilot in command; was on a cross country flight to lee county airport and was cleared by indianapolis center for the RNAV approach to runway 25; lee county airport (0VG). Upon receiving clearance; having misread the approach plate; I descended to 5;400 ft MSL. From the northeasterly direction I was arriving the minimum safe altitude within 30 nautical miles of the initial approach fix huxam was 6;100 ft. I also switched to the CTAF frequency for lee county airport after being cleared for the approach. I was contacted by a beechcraft; who had been instructed by center to tell me to return to center frequency. I did so; and was instructed to return to the correct minimum safe altitude by indianapolis center. I climbed back to the correct minimum safe altitude. I then completed the rest of the approach and the return flight without further problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 pilot reports being cleared for the RNAV Runway 25 approach to 0VG from the northeast and descending to 5;400 FT prior to reaching HUXAM and switching to CTAF without informing ATC. ATC is able to correct the deviation by relaying information through another aircraft.

Narrative: I; the pilot in command; was on a cross country flight to Lee County Airport and was cleared by Indianapolis Center for the RNAV approach to Runway 25; Lee County Airport (0VG). Upon receiving clearance; having misread the approach plate; I descended to 5;400 FT MSL. From the northeasterly direction I was arriving the minimum safe altitude within 30 nautical miles of the initial approach fix HUXAM was 6;100 FT. I also switched to the CTAF frequency for Lee County airport after being cleared for the approach. I was contacted by a Beechcraft; who had been instructed by Center to tell me to return to Center frequency. I did so; and was instructed to return to the correct Minimum Safe Altitude by Indianapolis Center. I climbed back to the correct minimum safe altitude. I then completed the rest of the approach and the return flight without further problems.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.

C172 pilot reports being cleared for the RNAV runway 25 approach to 0VG from the northeast and descending to 5;400 ft prior to reaching huxam and switching to CTAF without informing ATC. ATC is able to correct the deviation by relaying information through another aircraft.