Narrative:

The problem that occurred was in the aircraft I was flying when I started to descend too early on a localizer only approach. I had notified the controller that I had lost my #1 radio. This meant instead of flying an ILS approach I would have to fly localizer only approach using radio #2. I had asked the controller to call the outer marker for me. He stated it was not on his scope. The outer marker/compass locator are located in the same location. The compass locator goes by the name of staut. In the approach plates NOAA the airport is located under the name staunton, va. The controller told me I was 5 mi from the airport or staunton (either I misunderstood the controller as saying the airport was 5 mi or staunton was 5 mi or he said that staunton was 5 mi). It appears to me now that he was talking about the compass locator being 5 mi. (I am from the south and the controller had a northern accent.) about the time he called 5 mi I noticed the ADF needle start to swing, so I started down to MDA for the localizer only approach. The controller called me up at about 2200 MSL and said I was supposed to be at 2800 MSL and that I was 3 mi from staut (it still sounded like staunton to me) compass locator or about 8 mi from the airport. At that time I realized he was saying staut, not staunton. It comes down to this being the problem. I either misunderstood the controller or he said the wrong word for the compass locator. After I started to climb up on the missed approach I noticed the old style ADF was not tuned to frequency 375 (tune like radio) as when I started the approach. I reset the ADF and went out by vectors and shot another approach using the localizer for runway 5 with no problems. The aircraft radios are going into the shop to be repaired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT STARTING IAP LOC APCH INTO SHD.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED WAS IN THE ACFT I WAS FLYING WHEN I STARTED TO DSND TOO EARLY ON A LOC ONLY APCH. I HAD NOTIFIED THE CTLR THAT I HAD LOST MY #1 RADIO. THIS MEANT INSTEAD OF FLYING AN ILS APCH I WOULD HAVE TO FLY LOC ONLY APCH USING RADIO #2. I HAD ASKED THE CTLR TO CALL THE OUTER MARKER FOR ME. HE STATED IT WAS NOT ON HIS SCOPE. THE OUTER MARKER/COMPASS LOCATOR ARE LOCATED IN THE SAME LOCATION. THE COMPASS LOCATOR GOES BY THE NAME OF STAUT. IN THE APCH PLATES NOAA THE ARPT IS LOCATED UNDER THE NAME STAUNTON, VA. THE CTLR TOLD ME I WAS 5 MI FROM THE ARPT OR STAUNTON (EITHER I MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR AS SAYING THE ARPT WAS 5 MI OR STAUNTON WAS 5 MI OR HE SAID THAT STAUNTON WAS 5 MI). IT APPEARS TO ME NOW THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE COMPASS LOCATOR BEING 5 MI. (I AM FROM THE SOUTH AND THE CTLR HAD A NORTHERN ACCENT.) ABOUT THE TIME HE CALLED 5 MI I NOTICED THE ADF NEEDLE START TO SWING, SO I STARTED DOWN TO MDA FOR THE LOC ONLY APCH. THE CTLR CALLED ME UP AT ABOUT 2200 MSL AND SAID I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT 2800 MSL AND THAT I WAS 3 MI FROM STAUT (IT STILL SOUNDED LIKE STAUNTON TO ME) COMPASS LOCATOR OR ABOUT 8 MI FROM THE ARPT. AT THAT TIME I REALIZED HE WAS SAYING STAUT, NOT STAUNTON. IT COMES DOWN TO THIS BEING THE PROBLEM. I EITHER MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR OR HE SAID THE WRONG WORD FOR THE COMPASS LOCATOR. AFTER I STARTED TO CLIMB UP ON THE MISSED APCH I NOTICED THE OLD STYLE ADF WAS NOT TUNED TO FREQ 375 (TUNE LIKE RADIO) AS WHEN I STARTED THE APCH. I RESET THE ADF AND WENT OUT BY VECTORS AND SHOT ANOTHER APCH USING THE LOC FOR RWY 5 WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE ACFT RADIOS ARE GOING INTO THE SHOP TO BE REPAIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.