Narrative:

This flight had departed chapel hill, nc (W52) at XA30 local time IFR to rocky mount/wilson (rwi) in extremely low IFR conditions. Upon arrival at FAF for rocky mount, I was informed that the ZDC sector to the east had a lost aircraft and that I would have to hold. Hold consumed approximately 30 mins until lost aircraft was located and then I was cleared for ILS runway 4 approach to rwi. Approach was successfully completed. While waiting on passenger at rocky mount, I occupied my time at the FSS monitoring the deterioration of the WX situation. Departed rwi at approximately XA40 with clearance directly to chapel hill at 4000 ft. Upon contact with rdu approach control, I requested the VOR/DME runway 27 approach (copy of approach plate attached) at chapel hill and was told to expect it. I was then given an amended clearance of 'direct raleigh VOR, direct W52' at 4000 ft. Upon nearing raleigh, I was cleared to 'descend to 3000 ft, maintain 3000 ft to the VOR and approach clearance will be issued by next controller, contact approach on 132.35.' frequency change occurred just prior to crossing the VOR. The 132.35 controller rogered just prior to crossing the VOR. The 132.35 controller rogered my contact and said 'intercept and track the 290 degree radial outbound.' I had already intercepted the radial and was making course corrections for a very strong wind aloft. At about 2 DME out on the radial I started a descent down to 2000 ft to cross daany at 2000 ft. Sometime about 2500 ft the controller suddenly said 'your last assigned altitude was 3000 ft.' I responded that I thought I had been cleared for the approach and the reply was 'I did not clear you and the last guy did not. I need you at 3000 ft, climb and maintain 3000 ft.' I immediately started a high rate of climb back to 3000 ft and at about 2850 ft was told to disregard that, I was cleared for the approach. At that point, I was 2 NM from daany. I reversed the climb to a rapid descent, crossed daany about 400 ft high, and continued the approach. The ceiling was broken at chapel hill and although I initially had the runway in sight, I lost it on final when I entered a lower cloud patch, and executed the missed approach. A second approach was not successful and I diverted to rdu. Upon talking to other pilots in our organization about this situation, I found out that rdu routinely holds you up to 3000 ft until between 4-5 NM from daany before clearing you for this approach. I assume that this is to accommodate separation on traffic departing from runway 23R at rdu, but it leaves one in a situation of an unstabilized approach. Worry about the very bad WX, the knowledge that we needed this aircraft back at chapel hill to accommodate a very heavy flight schedule, lack of food since early morning, a general tension of the flight on this very rough and bad WX day, along with a sense of irritation at being extremely late at rwi because of another pilot's instrument procedure of being out of radio and radar contact with center for about 45 mins while every pilot in eastern north carolina was having to hold until center could locate his position and establish contact, were contributing factors in my lack of attention. I simply flew the approach as depicted on the chart and did not concentrate on, or even register, the fact that I had not yet received a clearance for this approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative: THIS FLT HAD DEPARTED CHAPEL HILL, NC (W52) AT XA30 LCL TIME IFR TO ROCKY MOUNT/WILSON (RWI) IN EXTREMELY LOW IFR CONDITIONS. UPON ARR AT FAF FOR ROCKY MOUNT, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ZDC SECTOR TO THE E HAD A LOST ACFT AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HOLD. HOLD CONSUMED APPROX 30 MINS UNTIL LOST ACFT WAS LOCATED AND THEN I WAS CLRED FOR ILS RWY 4 APCH TO RWI. APCH WAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. WHILE WAITING ON PAX AT ROCKY MOUNT, I OCCUPIED MY TIME AT THE FSS MONITORING THE DETERIORATION OF THE WX SIT. DEPARTED RWI AT APPROX XA40 WITH CLRNC DIRECTLY TO CHAPEL HILL AT 4000 FT. UPON CONTACT WITH RDU APCH CTL, I REQUESTED THE VOR/DME RWY 27 APCH (COPY OF APCH PLATE ATTACHED) AT CHAPEL HILL AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT IT. I WAS THEN GIVEN AN AMENDED CLRNC OF 'DIRECT RALEIGH VOR, DIRECT W52' AT 4000 FT. UPON NEARING RALEIGH, I WAS CLRED TO 'DSND TO 3000 FT, MAINTAIN 3000 FT TO THE VOR AND APCH CLRNC WILL BE ISSUED BY NEXT CTLR, CONTACT APCH ON 132.35.' FREQ CHANGE OCCURRED JUST PRIOR TO XING THE VOR. THE 132.35 CTLR ROGERED JUST PRIOR TO XING THE VOR. THE 132.35 CTLR ROGERED MY CONTACT AND SAID 'INTERCEPT AND TRACK THE 290 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND.' I HAD ALREADY INTERCEPTED THE RADIAL AND WAS MAKING COURSE CORRECTIONS FOR A VERY STRONG WIND ALOFT. AT ABOUT 2 DME OUT ON THE RADIAL I STARTED A DSCNT DOWN TO 2000 FT TO CROSS DAANY AT 2000 FT. SOMETIME ABOUT 2500 FT THE CTLR SUDDENLY SAID 'YOUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT WAS 3000 FT.' I RESPONDED THAT I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH AND THE REPLY WAS 'I DID NOT CLR YOU AND THE LAST GUY DID NOT. I NEED YOU AT 3000 FT, CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' I IMMEDIATELY STARTED A HIGH RATE OF CLB BACK TO 3000 FT AND AT ABOUT 2850 FT WAS TOLD TO DISREGARD THAT, I WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH. AT THAT POINT, I WAS 2 NM FROM DAANY. I REVERSED THE CLB TO A RAPID DSCNT, CROSSED DAANY ABOUT 400 FT HIGH, AND CONTINUED THE APCH. THE CEILING WAS BROKEN AT CHAPEL HILL AND ALTHOUGH I INITIALLY HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT, I LOST IT ON FINAL WHEN I ENTERED A LOWER CLOUD PATCH, AND EXECUTED THE MISSED APCH. A SECOND APCH WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL AND I DIVERTED TO RDU. UPON TALKING TO OTHER PLTS IN OUR ORGANIZATION ABOUT THIS SIT, I FOUND OUT THAT RDU ROUTINELY HOLDS YOU UP TO 3000 FT UNTIL BTWN 4-5 NM FROM DAANY BEFORE CLRING YOU FOR THIS APCH. I ASSUME THAT THIS IS TO ACCOMMODATE SEPARATION ON TFC DEPARTING FROM RWY 23R AT RDU, BUT IT LEAVES ONE IN A SIT OF AN UNSTABILIZED APCH. WORRY ABOUT THE VERY BAD WX, THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE NEEDED THIS ACFT BACK AT CHAPEL HILL TO ACCOMMODATE A VERY HVY FLT SCHEDULE, LACK OF FOOD SINCE EARLY MORNING, A GENERAL TENSION OF THE FLT ON THIS VERY ROUGH AND BAD WX DAY, ALONG WITH A SENSE OF IRRITATION AT BEING EXTREMELY LATE AT RWI BECAUSE OF ANOTHER PLT'S INST PROC OF BEING OUT OF RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WITH CTR FOR ABOUT 45 MINS WHILE EVERY PLT IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA WAS HAVING TO HOLD UNTIL CTR COULD LOCATE HIS POS AND ESTABLISH CONTACT, WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN MY LACK OF ATTN. I SIMPLY FLEW THE APCH AS DEPICTED ON THE CHART AND DID NOT CONCENTRATE ON, OR EVEN REGISTER, THE FACT THAT I HAD NOT YET RECEIVED A CLRNC FOR THIS APCH.

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.