Narrative:

While VFR over the top of a fog undercast, I called travis approach, asked for and received a pop-up VOR approach into the university of davis airport. I asked for and received a VFR descent to 2000 ft. Travis had given me a vector to intercept the radial which forms the final approach course to runway 16. I asked travis to radar the final approach fix and they agreed. Travis cleared me for the approach but did not give me an altitude, which I should have asked for. I descended, instead, to the MSA and, when my VOR needle indicated final approach fix outbound, I descended to the published procedure reversal altitude. At this time I was in and out of the tops of clouds. Travis could not show me established and, in fact, stated I was 2 mi west of course. They asked if I would like another go, but I declined. They handed me off to sac approach where I was vectored for a successful ILS to smf. There were many factors that led to the botched VOR approach. 1) my VOR needles, when centered, were not accurate, as proven by travis telling me I was off course. 2) when cleared for the VOR, I should have requested a minimum altitude. I was not assigned a '...maintain XXXX ft until established....' instead, I descended to MSA as published on the plate. 3) travis was going to identify the final approach fix but when I showed myself passing the final approach fix they did not inform me of passage. I was probably distracted by my inability to get on course due to the uncalibrated, or erroneous needle information. 4) I think the communications with a military approach facility was different than what I was used to. I got the feeling he did not really know what I wanted to do. I am getting both VOR radios calibrated. In the air, with 1 compared to the other, they were in tolerance. I do not feel, anymore, that this is a good check.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PREMATURE DSCNT IN EXECUTING IAP VOR APCH. POS DEV. ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative: WHILE VFR OVER THE TOP OF A FOG UNDERCAST, I CALLED TRAVIS APCH, ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A POP-UP VOR APCH INTO THE UNIVERSITY OF DAVIS ARPT. I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A VFR DSCNT TO 2000 FT. TRAVIS HAD GIVEN ME A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL WHICH FORMS THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO RWY 16. I ASKED TRAVIS TO RADAR THE FINAL APCH FIX AND THEY AGREED. TRAVIS CLRED ME FOR THE APCH BUT DID NOT GIVE ME AN ALT, WHICH I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR. I DSNDED, INSTEAD, TO THE MSA AND, WHEN MY VOR NEEDLE INDICATED FINAL APCH FIX OUTBOUND, I DSNDED TO THE PUBLISHED PROC REVERSAL ALT. AT THIS TIME I WAS IN AND OUT OF THE TOPS OF CLOUDS. TRAVIS COULD NOT SHOW ME ESTABLISHED AND, IN FACT, STATED I WAS 2 MI W OF COURSE. THEY ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE ANOTHER GO, BUT I DECLINED. THEY HANDED ME OFF TO SAC APCH WHERE I WAS VECTORED FOR A SUCCESSFUL ILS TO SMF. THERE WERE MANY FACTORS THAT LED TO THE BOTCHED VOR APCH. 1) MY VOR NEEDLES, WHEN CTRED, WERE NOT ACCURATE, AS PROVEN BY TRAVIS TELLING ME I WAS OFF COURSE. 2) WHEN CLRED FOR THE VOR, I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A MINIMUM ALT. I WAS NOT ASSIGNED A '...MAINTAIN XXXX FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED....' INSTEAD, I DSNDED TO MSA AS PUBLISHED ON THE PLATE. 3) TRAVIS WAS GOING TO IDENT THE FINAL APCH FIX BUT WHEN I SHOWED MYSELF PASSING THE FINAL APCH FIX THEY DID NOT INFORM ME OF PASSAGE. I WAS PROBABLY DISTRACTED BY MY INABILITY TO GET ON COURSE DUE TO THE UNCALIBRATED, OR ERRONEOUS NEEDLE INFO. 4) I THINK THE COMS WITH A MIL APCH FACILITY WAS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I WAS USED TO. I GOT THE FEELING HE DID NOT REALLY KNOW WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I AM GETTING BOTH VOR RADIOS CALIBRATED. IN THE AIR, WITH 1 COMPARED TO THE OTHER, THEY WERE IN TOLERANCE. I DO NOT FEEL, ANYMORE, THAT THIS IS A GOOD CHK.

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.