Narrative:

I was on an ILS runway 6 approach into isp. I had a friend along for the flight who is a CFI aim also. While on the approach the tower called an altitude alert and stated local altimeter setting. A little more than a min was left to go on the approach. The pilot in the other seat who was 'working' the radios caught sight of the approaching lights. I looked up to verify this and also caught sight of the approach lights. I then descended from about 500 ft MSL to a little below localizer MDA (420 ft) to keep the lights in sight. I stayed at the altitude for about 5-10 seconds. The tower then called an altitude alert. Having never heard that term before on an approach I was a little startled and climb back above MDA and lost sight of the lights. Knowing I would see the approach lights again in a few seconds (ceiling was ragged) I maintained altitude and course. When I had the approach lights in sight again, I told the other pilot to tell the controller we had the airport in sight. We were cleared to land and made a normal approach and landing. The main contributing factor for receiving an altitude alert was not calling the airport in sight the first time to the controller. The ceiling was ragged which accounted for sighting the airport the first time and then losing sight of the airport for a few seconds when I climbed also, when I broke out the first time, I did not want to lose sight of the airport, so I may have descended below an MDA altitude that may have made the controller a little uncomfortable. A little light chop was also encountered on the approach. A lot of concentration is needed when on an approach to near mins. Once the airport is in sight, human tendency is to relax a little and 'bring it home.' concentration and awareness of all involved must be kept until the aircraft is parked and tied down. Never assume someone else knows what you see or don't see.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RECEIVES A LOW ALT WHILE CONDUCTING A NON PRECISION APCH.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN ILS RWY 6 APCH INTO ISP. I HAD A FRIEND ALONG FOR THE FLT WHO IS A CFI AIM ALSO. WHILE ON THE APCH THE TWR CALLED AN ALT ALERT AND STATED LCL ALTIMETER SETTING. A LITTLE MORE THAN A MIN WAS LEFT TO GO ON THE APCH. THE PLT IN THE OTHER SEAT WHO WAS 'WORKING' THE RADIOS CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE APCHING LIGHTS. I LOOKED UP TO VERIFY THIS AND ALSO CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE APCH LIGHTS. I THEN DSNDED FROM ABOUT 500 FT MSL TO A LITTLE BELOW LOC MDA (420 FT) TO KEEP THE LIGHTS IN SIGHT. I STAYED AT THE ALT FOR ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS. THE TWR THEN CALLED AN ALT ALERT. HAVING NEVER HEARD THAT TERM BEFORE ON AN APCH I WAS A LITTLE STARTLED AND CLB BACK ABOVE MDA AND LOST SIGHT OF THE LIGHTS. KNOWING I WOULD SEE THE APCH LIGHTS AGAIN IN A FEW SECONDS (CEILING WAS RAGGED) I MAINTAINED ALT AND COURSE. WHEN I HAD THE APCH LIGHTS IN SIGHT AGAIN, I TOLD THE OTHER PLT TO TELL THE CTLR WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR FOR RECEIVING AN ALT ALERT WAS NOT CALLING THE ARPT IN SIGHT THE FIRST TIME TO THE CTLR. THE CEILING WAS RAGGED WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR SIGHTING THE ARPT THE FIRST TIME AND THEN LOSING SIGHT OF THE ARPT FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN I CLBED ALSO, WHEN I BROKE OUT THE FIRST TIME, I DID NOT WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE ARPT, SO I MAY HAVE DSNDED BELOW AN MDA ALT THAT MAY HAVE MADE THE CTLR A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE. A LITTLE LIGHT CHOP WAS ALSO ENCOUNTERED ON THE APCH. A LOT OF CONCENTRATION IS NEEDED WHEN ON AN APCH TO NEAR MINS. ONCE THE ARPT IS IN SIGHT, HUMAN TENDENCY IS TO RELAX A LITTLE AND 'BRING IT HOME.' CONCENTRATION AND AWARENESS OF ALL INVOLVED MUST BE KEPT UNTIL THE ACFT IS PARKED AND TIED DOWN. NEVER ASSUME SOMEONE ELSE KNOWS WHAT YOU SEE OR DON'T SEE.

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.