Narrative:

When I received my north carolina trip kit from industry, I noticed a comment on the en route chart that the wright brothers (rbx) VOR might be OTS. On aug/xa/96, I asked ipt flight service if they had a NOTAM that the rbx VOR was OTS. They checked and said they did not. On aug/xb/96, I asked rdu flight service the same question. They too indicated that so far as they knew, the VOR was still in service. On aug/xc/96, I was on an instrument flight plan from oaj direct to ewn VOR then direct to mqi. I was expecting to use the VOR runway 16 approach into manteo. This approach required the wright brothers VOR. At 10 mi out, I was still at 7000 ft MSL. I believe I was kept at this altitude because restr area R-5314 was active. Shortly after that ZDC cleared me to descend to 4000 ft MSL. I started to descend and told the controller that I was not getting a morse signal on the rbx VOR. The controller told me it was OTS and then cleared me to descend to 2000 ft and to cross the beacon (mqi) at 2000 ft. He also said that radar service was terminated. I was IMC at this time. I was unable to get to 2000 ft by the time I crossed the beacon. As the needle swung I remember seeing 2500 on the altimeter. At this point, I was going into and out of the clouds and became disoriented and went into an unusual nose down attitude. I concentrated on flying the airplane and recovering from the unusual attitude. During this process, I climbed back to 3000 ft MSL. I focused on flying the airplane, slowing the airplane down (throttled back, leveled the wings, lowered gear and flaps), and settling myself down. This occurred within 4-6 mi from the beacon. I remember the LORAN showing 336 degrees as the bearing to mqi. I began to turn toward the beacon. When the ADF showed it at 12 O'clock, I flew a straight course to it. I was initially intending to execute the missed approach but the procedure was not in effect when R-5314 was active. At 1100 ft MSL and 4 mi, I could see the runway. I had stayed on ZDC's frequency this entire time, but they did not make any radio contact with me. At this point, I switched to the advisory frequency and asked dare county unicom for their active runway. They indicated that it was runway 4. I descended to pattern altitude (1000 ft MSL), contacted center told them I was over the airport, that I had visual contact with it, and that they should close my IFR flight plan. I switched back to the advisory frequency, advised of intentions, flew an upwind leg, then downwind, base, final, and landed without further event. One of my mistakes was that I kept too much speed for too long. I should have started to slow down before center cleared the descent when I saw I was getting within 10 mi of manteo. I should also have kept my head on the instruments the entire time. I believe this caused or contributed to my disorientation. Also, I was expecting more help from center and was not prepared to react when the help was not forthcoming. Most of my instrument work has been with approach controls who provide vectors to the approach course. I guess this got me complacent. Lastly, I was expecting the VOR runway 16 approach and was not ready to jump to another approach when the VOR runway 16 was not available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL LOST CTL OF THE ACFT DURING DSCNT ON AN NDB APCH RESULTING IN UNDERSHOOTING A XING RESTR AND THEN DSNDING BELOW HIS LAST ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: WHEN I RECEIVED MY N CAROLINA TRIP KIT FROM INDUSTRY, I NOTICED A COMMENT ON THE ENRTE CHART THAT THE WRIGHT BROTHERS (RBX) VOR MIGHT BE OTS. ON AUG/XA/96, I ASKED IPT FLT SVC IF THEY HAD A NOTAM THAT THE RBX VOR WAS OTS. THEY CHKED AND SAID THEY DID NOT. ON AUG/XB/96, I ASKED RDU FLT SVC THE SAME QUESTION. THEY TOO INDICATED THAT SO FAR AS THEY KNEW, THE VOR WAS STILL IN SVC. ON AUG/XC/96, I WAS ON AN INST FLT PLAN FROM OAJ DIRECT TO EWN VOR THEN DIRECT TO MQI. I WAS EXPECTING TO USE THE VOR RWY 16 APCH INTO MANTEO. THIS APCH REQUIRED THE WRIGHT BROTHERS VOR. AT 10 MI OUT, I WAS STILL AT 7000 FT MSL. I BELIEVE I WAS KEPT AT THIS ALT BECAUSE RESTR AREA R-5314 WAS ACTIVE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT ZDC CLRED ME TO DSND TO 4000 FT MSL. I STARTED TO DSND AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WAS NOT GETTING A MORSE SIGNAL ON THE RBX VOR. THE CTLR TOLD ME IT WAS OTS AND THEN CLRED ME TO DSND TO 2000 FT AND TO CROSS THE BEACON (MQI) AT 2000 FT. HE ALSO SAID THAT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED. I WAS IMC AT THIS TIME. I WAS UNABLE TO GET TO 2000 FT BY THE TIME I CROSSED THE BEACON. AS THE NEEDLE SWUNG I REMEMBER SEEING 2500 ON THE ALTIMETER. AT THIS POINT, I WAS GOING INTO AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND BECAME DISORIENTED AND WENT INTO AN UNUSUAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. I CONCENTRATED ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND RECOVERING FROM THE UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. DURING THIS PROCESS, I CLBED BACK TO 3000 FT MSL. I FOCUSED ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE, SLOWING THE AIRPLANE DOWN (THROTTLED BACK, LEVELED THE WINGS, LOWERED GEAR AND FLAPS), AND SETTLING MYSELF DOWN. THIS OCCURRED WITHIN 4-6 MI FROM THE BEACON. I REMEMBER THE LORAN SHOWING 336 DEGS AS THE BEARING TO MQI. I BEGAN TO TURN TOWARD THE BEACON. WHEN THE ADF SHOWED IT AT 12 O'CLOCK, I FLEW A STRAIGHT COURSE TO IT. I WAS INITIALLY INTENDING TO EXECUTE THE MISSED APCH BUT THE PROC WAS NOT IN EFFECT WHEN R-5314 WAS ACTIVE. AT 1100 FT MSL AND 4 MI, I COULD SEE THE RWY. I HAD STAYED ON ZDC'S FREQ THIS ENTIRE TIME, BUT THEY DID NOT MAKE ANY RADIO CONTACT WITH ME. AT THIS POINT, I SWITCHED TO THE ADVISORY FREQ AND ASKED DARE COUNTY UNICOM FOR THEIR ACTIVE RWY. THEY INDICATED THAT IT WAS RWY 4. I DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT (1000 FT MSL), CONTACTED CTR TOLD THEM I WAS OVER THE ARPT, THAT I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH IT, AND THAT THEY SHOULD CLOSE MY IFR FLT PLAN. I SWITCHED BACK TO THE ADVISORY FREQ, ADVISED OF INTENTIONS, FLEW AN UPWIND LEG, THEN DOWNWIND, BASE, FINAL, AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. ONE OF MY MISTAKES WAS THAT I KEPT TOO MUCH SPD FOR TOO LONG. I SHOULD HAVE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN BEFORE CTR CLRED THE DSCNT WHEN I SAW I WAS GETTING WITHIN 10 MI OF MANTEO. I SHOULD ALSO HAVE KEPT MY HEAD ON THE INSTS THE ENTIRE TIME. I BELIEVE THIS CAUSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO MY DISORIENTATION. ALSO, I WAS EXPECTING MORE HELP FROM CTR AND WAS NOT PREPARED TO REACT WHEN THE HELP WAS NOT FORTHCOMING. MOST OF MY INST WORK HAS BEEN WITH APCH CTLS WHO PROVIDE VECTORS TO THE APCH COURSE. I GUESS THIS GOT ME COMPLACENT. LASTLY, I WAS EXPECTING THE VOR RWY 16 APCH AND WAS NOT READY TO JUMP TO ANOTHER APCH WHEN THE VOR RWY 16 WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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.