Narrative:

On ZME we were cleared to join V-18 to tcl. Previous clearance was houston direct tcl. As we leveled at 4000 ft we were told 'radar contact lost, contact tuscaloosa approach.' on initial contact we were told to maintain 4000 ft direct to 'flosy' intersection cleared for the ILS runway 4 approach. What we didn't realize at the time was that we were nearly abeam flosy intersection (on V-18) when we received the clearance. I was flying with a new copilot who wasn't fully checked out on the GPS navigation system. He was having problems setting up the 'direct flosy' segment. I was watching him program the GPS/navigation and lost track of my altitude. We had descended to 3650 ft MSL when I caught the error. By now we are well inside flosy and we haven't joined the ILS runway 4 localizer. I immediately pulled back up to 4000 ft. The localizer came alive so we joined it but we were inside our clearance fix. Since we were established on the localizer I elected to continue the approach. We never got the GS so I stayed at 4000 ft. My copilot called airport in sight about 3-4 mi from the approach end of runway 4 but we were at 4000 ft. We canceled IFR and landed VFR on runway 22 (the runway in use). In retrospect, I should have not spent any time instructing the copilot on how to set up the flosy intersection. I lost all situational awareness and busted an altitude assignment. We were supposedly in a nonradar environment so maybe no one except us will ever know. I'm writing this to confess and cover my behind/mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEW FO DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO SET UP A DIRECT ON GPS NAV SYS. RPTR CAPT BECAME DISTRACTED WATCHING THE FO TRY TO SET UP THE SYS AND LOST 350 FT. THEN, PARTLY DUE TO A LATE CLRNC THE ACFT WAS INSIDE THE GS INTERCEPT SO RPTR MAINTAINED ALT UNTIL THEY HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT, CANCELED IFR AND LANDED.

Narrative: ON ZME WE WERE CLRED TO JOIN V-18 TO TCL. PREVIOUS CLRNC WAS HOUSTON DIRECT TCL. AS WE LEVELED AT 4000 FT WE WERE TOLD 'RADAR CONTACT LOST, CONTACT TUSCALOOSA APCH.' ON INITIAL CONTACT WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT DIRECT TO 'FLOSY' INTXN CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 4 APCH. WHAT WE DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE TIME WAS THAT WE WERE NEARLY ABEAM FLOSY INTXN (ON V-18) WHEN WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC. I WAS FLYING WITH A NEW COPLT WHO WASN'T FULLY CHKED OUT ON THE GPS NAV SYS. HE WAS HAVING PROBS SETTING UP THE 'DIRECT FLOSY' SEGMENT. I WAS WATCHING HIM PROGRAM THE GPS/NAV AND LOST TRACK OF MY ALT. WE HAD DSNDED TO 3650 FT MSL WHEN I CAUGHT THE ERROR. BY NOW WE ARE WELL INSIDE FLOSY AND WE HAVEN'T JOINED THE ILS RWY 4 LOC. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED BACK UP TO 4000 FT. THE LOC CAME ALIVE SO WE JOINED IT BUT WE WERE INSIDE OUR CLRNC FIX. SINCE WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH. WE NEVER GOT THE GS SO I STAYED AT 4000 FT. MY COPLT CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT ABOUT 3-4 MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 4 BUT WE WERE AT 4000 FT. WE CANCELED IFR AND LANDED VFR ON RWY 22 (THE RWY IN USE). IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE NOT SPENT ANY TIME INSTRUCTING THE COPLT ON HOW TO SET UP THE FLOSY INTXN. I LOST ALL SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND BUSTED AN ALT ASSIGNMENT. WE WERE SUPPOSEDLY IN A NONRADAR ENVIRONMENT SO MAYBE NO ONE EXCEPT US WILL EVER KNOW. I'M WRITING THIS TO CONFESS AND COVER MY BEHIND/MISTAKE.

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.