Small aircraft on IFR approach in IMC has problem with radio switching, distraction from passenger. ...

Narrative:

I was on IFR flight to luk. I was transporting an 11 yr old burn patient and her mother and a member of the shriners to the shriner's hospital in cincinnati for treatment. The trip was uneventful until approximately 15 or 20 mi from luk. I was on V-128 when cincinnati approach vectored me to a 270 degree heading. I acknowledged and turned to 270 degrees. I switched my #1 navigation radio to what I believed was the luk localizer DME back course for runway 2R at luk. I flew on my assigned heading of 270 degrees for approximately 5 min. I heard no communication with ATC. I checked my radio panel and noticed that I had somehow inadvertently changed to my #1 radio. I immediately switched back to my #2 radio. I regained contact with cincinnati approach. Approach also advised me that I had flown through the localizer and to turn left to 080 degrees to re-intercept localizer. I acknowledged left turn to 080 degrees then 060 degrees then 040 degrees to intercept the localizer. At this time, I noticed that I had both a navigation flag and GS flag on my #1 navigation radio. I immediately put in my #2 navigation to localizer. Approach advised me to maintain 2500 ft until established on localizer. At this time, I believe I was advised to contact luk tower. I contacted luk tower advised them that I was on localizer back course runway 2R. I was advised to report defts inbound. I also believe it was at this time that tower advised me that, in case of radio failure, expect light gun from tower. I was inbound and established on localizer descending to 2000 ft. That was the min altitude until defts intersection. While I was descending to 2000 ft, my attention was diverted when I was advised that the child was becoming ill and was starting to throw up. While I was trying to help my passenger, I was advised by the tower that I was showing 1500 ft on my altimeter and to climb back up to 2000 ft. I regained altitude and attempted to also re-establish myself on the localizer. While my attention was diverted from flying the airplane, I had gotten 4 dots right of course. I got to defts intersection, reported inbound, descended to 1240 ft MDA. Flew at this altitude while trying to get back on localizer. Tower kept advising me that airport was 12 O'clock 3 mi, then 1 mi. I still had negative contact. I remained 4 dots off course. Tower asked me once more if I had airport. Stated no, at which time, tower advised me to climb to 2500 ft. At this time, I also advised tower that I had airport in sight, tower then cleared me to land. Landing was without incident. My loss of communication with ATC started a chain of events which distracted my attention from my primary duty of flying the airplane. My concern for the child's well-being and the fact that she was a burn patient caused me to look away while the airplane was descending, then the fact that I descended below altitude also distracted me even more. My descent below initial approach altitude caused me to focus on altitude distracting my attention from maintaining a course on the localizer. In the future, I will be more careful and delegate someone to take care of the children I fly so I may devote my full attention to flying the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR APCH IN IMC HAS PROBLEM WITH RADIO SWITCHING, DISTR FROM PAX. OFF HDG, OFF ALT, TEMP NORAD. GETS IT TOGETHER, LANDS.

Narrative: I WAS ON IFR FLT TO LUK. I WAS TRANSPORTING AN 11 YR OLD BURN PATIENT AND HER MOTHER AND A MEMBER OF THE SHRINERS TO THE SHRINER'S HOSPITAL IN CINCINNATI FOR TREATMENT. THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL APPROX 15 OR 20 MI FROM LUK. I WAS ON V-128 WHEN CINCINNATI APCH VECTORED ME TO A 270 DEG HDG. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND TURNED TO 270 DEGS. I SWITCHED MY #1 NAV RADIO TO WHAT I BELIEVED WAS THE LUK LOC DME BACK COURSE FOR RWY 2R AT LUK. I FLEW ON MY ASSIGNED HDG OF 270 DEGS FOR APPROX 5 MIN. I HEARD NO COM WITH ATC. I CHKED MY RADIO PANEL AND NOTICED THAT I HAD SOMEHOW INADVERTENTLY CHANGED TO MY #1 RADIO. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED BACK TO MY #2 RADIO. I REGAINED CONTACT WITH CINCINNATI APCH. APCH ALSO ADVISED ME THAT I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE LOC AND TO TURN L TO 080 DEGS TO RE-INTERCEPT LOC. I ACKNOWLEDGED L TURN TO 080 DEGS THEN 060 DEGS THEN 040 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. AT THIS TIME, I NOTICED THAT I HAD BOTH A NAV FLAG AND GS FLAG ON MY #1 NAV RADIO. I IMMEDIATELY PUT IN MY #2 NAV TO LOC. APCH ADVISED ME TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON LOC. AT THIS TIME, I BELIEVE I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT LUK TWR. I CONTACTED LUK TWR ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS ON LOC BACK COURSE RWY 2R. I WAS ADVISED TO RPT DEFTS INBOUND. I ALSO BELIEVE IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT TWR ADVISED ME THAT, IN CASE OF RADIO FAILURE, EXPECT LIGHT GUN FROM TWR. I WAS INBOUND AND ESTABLISHED ON LOC DSNDING TO 2000 FT. THAT WAS THE MIN ALT UNTIL DEFTS INTXN. WHILE I WAS DSNDING TO 2000 FT, MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED WHEN I WAS ADVISED THAT THE CHILD WAS BECOMING ILL AND WAS STARTING TO THROW UP. WHILE I WAS TRYING TO HELP MY PAX, I WAS ADVISED BY THE TWR THAT I WAS SHOWING 1500 FT ON MY ALTIMETER AND TO CLB BACK UP TO 2000 FT. I REGAINED ALT AND ATTEMPTED TO ALSO RE-ESTABLISH MYSELF ON THE LOC. WHILE MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM FLYING THE AIRPLANE, I HAD GOTTEN 4 DOTS R OF COURSE. I GOT TO DEFTS INTXN, RPTED INBOUND, DSNDED TO 1240 FT MDA. FLEW AT THIS ALT WHILE TRYING TO GET BACK ON LOC. TWR KEPT ADVISING ME THAT ARPT WAS 12 O'CLOCK 3 MI, THEN 1 MI. I STILL HAD NEGATIVE CONTACT. I REMAINED 4 DOTS OFF COURSE. TWR ASKED ME ONCE MORE IF I HAD ARPT. STATED NO, AT WHICH TIME, TWR ADVISED ME TO CLB TO 2500 FT. AT THIS TIME, I ALSO ADVISED TWR THAT I HAD ARPT IN SIGHT, TWR THEN CLRED ME TO LAND. LNDG WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY LOSS OF COM WITH ATC STARTED A CHAIN OF EVENTS WHICH DISTRACTED MY ATTN FROM MY PRIMARY DUTY OF FLYING THE AIRPLANE. MY CONCERN FOR THE CHILD'S WELL-BEING AND THE FACT THAT SHE WAS A BURN PATIENT CAUSED ME TO LOOK AWAY WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS DSNDING, THEN THE FACT THAT I DSNDED BELOW ALT ALSO DISTRACTED ME EVEN MORE. MY DSCNT BELOW INITIAL APCH ALT CAUSED ME TO FOCUS ON ALT DISTRACTING MY ATTN FROM MAINTAINING A COURSE ON THE LOC. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE CAREFUL AND DELEGATE SOMEONE TO TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN I FLY SO I MAY DEVOTE MY FULL ATTN TO FLYING THE ACFT.

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.

Attributes
ACN	210804
Time
Date	199205
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : luk
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 63 flight time total : 582 flight time type : 63
ASRS Report	210804
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Small aircraft on IFR approach in IMC has problem with radio switching, distraction from passenger. Off heading, off altitude, temperature norad. Gets it together, lands.