Narrative:

I work in the office as well as fly the airplane. The day had been a tough one. The boss had demanded the impossible and didn't get it. That evening I was to fly the boss and a couple other employees home after a day long meeting. Stops in columbus and washington, PA. As we were being vectored for the ILS approach into cmh, I just had too much on my mind. I can usually block the extra stuff out and concentrate on flying, but not this day. Approach was keeping me high and I knew we were going to get slam dunked and I had getting down on the brain. When we were cleared out of 5000 ft for 4000 ft, I set up the descent and the next thing I realized I was at 3500 ft and approach was very unhappy. Once back at 4000 ft, the rest of the day was quite normal. Factors: fatigue, outside stress, a workaholic boss that refuses to understand physical limits in aviation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying a cessna 310Q. He had an autoplt but he was not using it. Sometimes the pitch on the autoplt is unreliable and for no reason will descend. He said perhaps the reason the controller was miffed was he was so busy he did not have time to work a pilot who could not hold his assigned altitude. The reporter's problem is he is trying to save his engines. Going to idle to get down is hard on the reciprocating engines. He maximizes the use of gear and flaps as drag, but so often the keep 'em high doctrine must prompt the controllers to bring the airplane down at the very last min. He feels this may be ok for jets but thinks the reciprocating aircraft should be allowed to stay lower and then would be out of the way of the jets.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DSNDS THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT TO WITHIN 400 FT OF MINIMUM SAFE ALT.

Narrative: I WORK IN THE OFFICE AS WELL AS FLY THE AIRPLANE. THE DAY HAD BEEN A TOUGH ONE. THE BOSS HAD DEMANDED THE IMPOSSIBLE AND DIDN'T GET IT. THAT EVENING I WAS TO FLY THE BOSS AND A COUPLE OTHER EMPLOYEES HOME AFTER A DAY LONG MEETING. STOPS IN COLUMBUS AND WASHINGTON, PA. AS WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS APCH INTO CMH, I JUST HAD TOO MUCH ON MY MIND. I CAN USUALLY BLOCK THE EXTRA STUFF OUT AND CONCENTRATE ON FLYING, BUT NOT THIS DAY. APCH WAS KEEPING ME HIGH AND I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO GET SLAM DUNKED AND I HAD GETTING DOWN ON THE BRAIN. WHEN WE WERE CLRED OUT OF 5000 FT FOR 4000 FT, I SET UP THE DSCNT AND THE NEXT THING I REALIZED I WAS AT 3500 FT AND APCH WAS VERY UNHAPPY. ONCE BACK AT 4000 FT, THE REST OF THE DAY WAS QUITE NORMAL. FACTORS: FATIGUE, OUTSIDE STRESS, A WORKAHOLIC BOSS THAT REFUSES TO UNDERSTAND PHYSICAL LIMITS IN AVIATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A CESSNA 310Q. HE HAD AN AUTOPLT BUT HE WAS NOT USING IT. SOMETIMES THE PITCH ON THE AUTOPLT IS UNRELIABLE AND FOR NO REASON WILL DSND. HE SAID PERHAPS THE REASON THE CTLR WAS MIFFED WAS HE WAS SO BUSY HE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO WORK A PLT WHO COULD NOT HOLD HIS ASSIGNED ALT. THE RPTR'S PROB IS HE IS TRYING TO SAVE HIS ENGS. GOING TO IDLE TO GET DOWN IS HARD ON THE RECIPROCATING ENGS. HE MAXIMIZES THE USE OF GEAR AND FLAPS AS DRAG, BUT SO OFTEN THE KEEP 'EM HIGH DOCTRINE MUST PROMPT THE CTLRS TO BRING THE AIRPLANE DOWN AT THE VERY LAST MIN. HE FEELS THIS MAY BE OK FOR JETS BUT THINKS THE RECIPROCATING ACFT SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO STAY LOWER AND THEN WOULD BE OUT OF THE WAY OF THE JETS.

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.