Altitude deviation altitude overshot on descent during approach procedure.

Attributes
ACN	201861
Time
Date	199202
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sle
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 900 msl bound upper : 900
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sle
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 270 flight time type : 225
ASRS Report	201861
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On a flight from scappoose to salem broken clouds forced one lower from 3500 asl over hillsboro to 1600 ft MSL just north of the air traffic area. About 25 mi north of salem airport listened several times to ATIS, could not hear runways in use, thought I heard 'wind calm' and altimeter setting identical with value at scappoose, ceiling 1800 broken. Either very poor quality tape or trouble with my receiver. Switched to tower and heard 16 and 13 in use. Tower asked me to call 4 mi out. Before I was that close tower told me to follow small aircraft on left base. Queried tower whether they wanted me to fly a left base or continue straight in, while looking for traffic, but not seeing it tower chided me that it was the traffic that was on left base. Then my pilot passenger spotted the other small aircraft on base and above us. My altimeter read 1250 ft and traffic was at 3 mi when I saw it turn final but lost it on its descent. It was drizzling now and visibility was poor. I started a slow descent as tower had cleared me to land with my attention focused on whether the plane I followed had cleared the runway and the # 16 and took 2 close together red lights for some obstruction till the tower ordered me to climb because I was excessively low. I then realized the two red lights were a VASI and climbed to red/white, before resuming my approach to an uneventful landing. Most of my flying is at uncontrolled airports. I had not flown a plane with a radio for several months, since I had been building my tail dragger time at an uncontrolled airport with runways shorter than 2500 ft. Oh yes, I know I was supposed to stay on VASI and flare 800 ft down the runway. Tower calling traffic excessively easily, drizzle, no lights, landing or strobe, on small aircraft I had to follow contributed to me not recognizing the two red lights for a 'you are dead' VASI. The poor ATIS tape and the irritation of the controller with sunday traffic did not help either. After landing my altimeter read 220 ft, and the lorentz said we were 1/4 mi out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT ON DSCNT DURING APCH PROC.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM SCAPPOOSE TO SALEM BROKEN CLOUDS FORCED ONE LOWER FROM 3500 ASL OVER HILLSBORO TO 1600 FT MSL JUST N OF THE ATA. ABOUT 25 MI N OF SALEM ARPT LISTENED SEVERAL TIMES TO ATIS, COULD NOT HEAR RWYS IN USE, THOUGHT I HEARD 'WIND CALM' AND ALTIMETER SETTING IDENTICAL WITH VALUE AT SCAPPOOSE, CEILING 1800 BROKEN. EITHER VERY POOR QUALITY TAPE OR TROUBLE WITH MY RECEIVER. SWITCHED TO TWR AND HEARD 16 AND 13 IN USE. TWR ASKED ME TO CALL 4 MI OUT. BEFORE I WAS THAT CLOSE TWR TOLD ME TO FOLLOW SMA ON L BASE. QUERIED TWR WHETHER THEY WANTED ME TO FLY A L BASE OR CONTINUE STRAIGHT IN, WHILE LOOKING FOR TFC, BUT NOT SEEING IT TWR CHIDED ME THAT IT WAS THE TFC THAT WAS ON L BASE. THEN MY PLT PAX SPOTTED THE OTHER SMA ON BASE AND ABOVE US. MY ALTIMETER READ 1250 FT AND TFC WAS AT 3 MI WHEN I SAW IT TURN FINAL BUT LOST IT ON ITS DSCNT. IT WAS DRIZZLING NOW AND VISIBILITY WAS POOR. I STARTED A SLOW DSCNT AS TWR HAD CLRED ME TO LAND WITH MY ATTN FOCUSED ON WHETHER THE PLANE I FOLLOWED HAD CLRED THE RWY AND THE # 16 AND TOOK 2 CLOSE TOGETHER RED LIGHTS FOR SOME OBSTRUCTION TILL THE TWR ORDERED ME TO CLB BECAUSE I WAS EXCESSIVELY LOW. I THEN REALIZED THE TWO RED LIGHTS WERE A VASI AND CLBED TO RED/WHITE, BEFORE RESUMING MY APCH TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. MOST OF MY FLYING IS AT UNCTLED ARPTS. I HAD NOT FLOWN A PLANE WITH A RADIO FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, SINCE I HAD BEEN BUILDING MY TAIL DRAGGER TIME AT AN UNCTLED ARPT WITH RWYS SHORTER THAN 2500 FT. OH YES, I KNOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY ON VASI AND FLARE 800 FT DOWN THE RWY. TWR CALLING TFC EXCESSIVELY EASILY, DRIZZLE, NO LIGHTS, LNDG OR STROBE, ON SMA I HAD TO FOLLOW CONTRIBUTED TO ME NOT RECOGNIZING THE TWO RED LIGHTS FOR A 'YOU ARE DEAD' VASI. THE POOR ATIS TAPE AND THE IRRITATION OF THE CTLR WITH SUNDAY TFC DID NOT HELP EITHER. AFTER LNDG MY ALTIMETER READ 220 FT, AND THE LORENTZ SAID WE WERE 1/4 MI OUT.

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.