Narrative:

It was my first IFR flight, since receiving my instrument rating. Conditions at departure and arrival airports were VMC (current and forecasted) but I was determined to file IFR to gain experience. I practiced the flight on my home computer simulator. I planned an alternate 1 week in advance, to cover all contingencies for our planned window of flight. Upon reaching en route altitude, I tuned in the ATIS for the destination. I was shocked to hear '300 ft overcast, 1 mi in fog.' my personal minimums were written down in advance and an attempt of this low IMC was out of the question -- particularly since a missed approach would require holding over the ocean in a single engine aircraft. My spouse suggested that we try our alternate. ATIS there reported 800 ft broken and 2 mi. I asked my spouse to get out the alternate approach plates (spouse is a private pilot of similar experience level and instrument student, and in flight is asking a lot of questions). (Spouse's first time in IMC.) I informed ATC that I wanted to go to the alternate, which was immediately granted. We changed over to approach control. Approach gave us vectors for the VOR approach. I had already started putting in the ILS frequencys, so I had to start over on setting up the panel. (Maybe this confused my spouse, who immediately got out our hand-held GPS. There is no DME on the VOR at the alternate, and the back-up DME would help confirm the FAF.) approach instructed me to maintain 2500 ft until established, cleared for the approach, report FAF inbound. The clouds started at 2000 ft MSL. I intercepted the approach course and started the descent. We entered the clouds and held the MDA (640 ft). We reported the FAF. I worried as time passed that we would not see the airport. I thought I forgot to take the time, but reassured myself that VOR station passage was the missed approach. Navigation indication 'to' and GPS indicated airport still ahead. We broke out of the 600 ft clouds to find 800 ft broken around the airport. Saw the airport and landed safely. Spouse was thrilled and really impressed. I, too, was elated. It wasn't until hours later, as we continued our trip in a rental car and reviewed the flight, that I realized I had descended to MDA before the FAF. In my training I had a tendency to descend too slowly on non precision approachs, and arrive at MDA just before the airport. I was so mindful of the need to give myself plenty of time in this case that I made a major mistake. This occurrence was caused by inexperience, but I could have (and will in the future) do better cockpit coordination, review all possible plates for myself before hand, and walk my spouse through my plans on the ground, to avoid (minimize) questions at critical times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PVT PLT MAKES AN EARLY DSCNT PRIOR TO FAF ON APCH PROC VOR DME APCH.

Narrative: IT WAS MY FIRST IFR FLT, SINCE RECEIVING MY INST RATING. CONDITIONS AT DEP AND ARR ARPTS WERE VMC (CURRENT AND FORECASTED) BUT I WAS DETERMINED TO FILE IFR TO GAIN EXPERIENCE. I PRACTICED THE FLT ON MY HOME COMPUTER SIMULATOR. I PLANNED AN ALTERNATE 1 WK IN ADVANCE, TO COVER ALL CONTINGENCIES FOR OUR PLANNED WINDOW OF FLT. UPON REACHING ENRTE ALT, I TUNED IN THE ATIS FOR THE DEST. I WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR '300 FT OVCST, 1 MI IN FOG.' MY PERSONAL MINIMUMS WERE WRITTEN DOWN IN ADVANCE AND AN ATTEMPT OF THIS LOW IMC WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION -- PARTICULARLY SINCE A MISSED APCH WOULD REQUIRE HOLDING OVER THE OCEAN IN A SINGLE ENG ACFT. MY SPOUSE SUGGESTED THAT WE TRY OUR ALTERNATE. ATIS THERE RPTED 800 FT BROKEN AND 2 MI. I ASKED MY SPOUSE TO GET OUT THE ALTERNATE APCH PLATES (SPOUSE IS A PVT PLT OF SIMILAR EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND INST STUDENT, AND IN FLT IS ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS). (SPOUSE'S FIRST TIME IN IMC.) I INFORMED ATC THAT I WANTED TO GO TO THE ALTERNATE, WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY GRANTED. WE CHANGED OVER TO APCH CTL. APCH GAVE US VECTORS FOR THE VOR APCH. I HAD ALREADY STARTED PUTTING IN THE ILS FREQS, SO I HAD TO START OVER ON SETTING UP THE PANEL. (MAYBE THIS CONFUSED MY SPOUSE, WHO IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT OUR HAND-HELD GPS. THERE IS NO DME ON THE VOR AT THE ALTERNATE, AND THE BACK-UP DME WOULD HELP CONFIRM THE FAF.) APCH INSTRUCTED ME TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED, CLRED FOR THE APCH, RPT FAF INBOUND. THE CLOUDS STARTED AT 2000 FT MSL. I INTERCEPTED THE APCH COURSE AND STARTED THE DSCNT. WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS AND HELD THE MDA (640 FT). WE RPTED THE FAF. I WORRIED AS TIME PASSED THAT WE WOULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. I THOUGHT I FORGOT TO TAKE THE TIME, BUT REASSURED MYSELF THAT VOR STATION PASSAGE WAS THE MISSED APCH. NAV INDICATION 'TO' AND GPS INDICATED ARPT STILL AHEAD. WE BROKE OUT OF THE 600 FT CLOUDS TO FIND 800 FT BROKEN AROUND THE ARPT. SAW THE ARPT AND LANDED SAFELY. SPOUSE WAS THRILLED AND REALLY IMPRESSED. I, TOO, WAS ELATED. IT WASN'T UNTIL HRS LATER, AS WE CONTINUED OUR TRIP IN A RENTAL CAR AND REVIEWED THE FLT, THAT I REALIZED I HAD DSNDED TO MDA BEFORE THE FAF. IN MY TRAINING I HAD A TENDENCY TO DSND TOO SLOWLY ON NON PRECISION APCHS, AND ARRIVE AT MDA JUST BEFORE THE ARPT. I WAS SO MINDFUL OF THE NEED TO GIVE MYSELF PLENTY OF TIME IN THIS CASE THAT I MADE A MAJOR MISTAKE. THIS OCCURRENCE WAS CAUSED BY INEXPERIENCE, BUT I COULD HAVE (AND WILL IN THE FUTURE) DO BETTER COCKPIT COORD, REVIEW ALL POSSIBLE PLATES FOR MYSELF BEFORE HAND, AND WALK MY SPOUSE THROUGH MY PLANS ON THE GND, TO AVOID (MINIMIZE) QUESTIONS AT CRITICAL TIMES.

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.