Narrative:

On the 2ND leg of a multi-engine mission while not carrying any passenger, the pilot flying the aircraft decided to brief and fly a full procedure ILS to runway at hsv. We only had about 10 mins to discuss his plan because we were busy running checklists on the short leg from a military base near atlanta. Once I contacted huntsville approach, we requested the full procedure ILS runway 18L, circle to runway 36R. Approach reminded us that they were on the other runway and he would not be able to clear us the circle because the nearby restr area was hot. I asked the other pilot what approach he'd like to fly and he, intent on doing a full procedure, chose the ILS to runway 36L. Approach cleared us direct to wheal intersection for one turn in holding followed by the approach at 5000 ft. The other pilot became very absorbed in trying to figure out how to cross tune wheal intersection without DME. He descended through assigned altitude after I had given him two altitude alert calls. He climbed back up to 5000 ft but was headed in the wrong direction for wheal. I pulled up the intersection in our uns to give us additional guidance. Approach called and asked us if we could locate wheal and gave us a vector. Again, the pilot began to descend out of his altitude. I reminded him when he reached 4800 ft and he put a positive input in to stop the descent. Using the vector from approach and our uns, we flew to wheal and commenced holding. Approach cleared us to fly the ILS runway 36L to a full stop. I thanked approach for his assistance. The lesson learned was to give yourself plenty of time to review an unfamiliar approach at an unfamiliar field. It is better to ask for vectors to final or fly a visual if there is not enough time to thoroughly review and discuss the approach with the other pilot. Trying to cross tune to find an intersection without DME is a very 'taxing' exercise.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MIL C21A (LR35) FLC EXPERIENCES SOME MINOR ALTDEVS AND HEADING EXCURSIONS DURING AN ATTEMPTED ILS APCH TO HSV, AL.

Narrative: ON THE 2ND LEG OF A MULTI-ENG MISSION WHILE NOT CARRYING ANY PAX, THE PLT FLYING THE ACFT DECIDED TO BRIEF AND FLY A FULL PROC ILS TO RWY AT HSV. WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 10 MINS TO DISCUSS HIS PLAN BECAUSE WE WERE BUSY RUNNING CHKLISTS ON THE SHORT LEG FROM A MIL BASE NEAR ATLANTA. ONCE I CONTACTED HUNTSVILLE APCH, WE REQUESTED THE FULL PROC ILS RWY 18L, CIRCLE TO RWY 36R. APCH REMINDED US THAT THEY WERE ON THE OTHER RWY AND HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CLR US THE CIRCLE BECAUSE THE NEARBY RESTR AREA WAS HOT. I ASKED THE OTHER PLT WHAT APCH HE'D LIKE TO FLY AND HE, INTENT ON DOING A FULL PROC, CHOSE THE ILS TO RWY 36L. APCH CLRED US DIRECT TO WHEAL INTXN FOR ONE TURN IN HOLDING FOLLOWED BY THE APCH AT 5000 FT. THE OTHER PLT BECAME VERY ABSORBED IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CROSS TUNE WHEAL INTXN WITHOUT DME. HE DSNDED THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT AFTER I HAD GIVEN HIM TWO ALT ALERT CALLS. HE CLBED BACK UP TO 5000 FT BUT WAS HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR WHEAL. I PULLED UP THE INTXN IN OUR UNS TO GIVE US ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE. APCH CALLED AND ASKED US IF WE COULD LOCATE WHEAL AND GAVE US A VECTOR. AGAIN, THE PLT BEGAN TO DSND OUT OF HIS ALT. I REMINDED HIM WHEN HE REACHED 4800 FT AND HE PUT A POSITIVE INPUT IN TO STOP THE DSCNT. USING THE VECTOR FROM APCH AND OUR UNS, WE FLEW TO WHEAL AND COMMENCED HOLDING. APCH CLRED US TO FLY THE ILS RWY 36L TO A FULL STOP. I THANKED APCH FOR HIS ASSISTANCE. THE LESSON LEARNED WAS TO GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME TO REVIEW AN UNFAMILIAR APCH AT AN UNFAMILIAR FIELD. IT IS BETTER TO ASK FOR VECTORS TO FINAL OR FLY A VISUAL IF THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO THOROUGHLY REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE APCH WITH THE OTHER PLT. TRYING TO CROSS TUNE TO FIND AN INTXN WITHOUT DME IS A VERY 'TAXING' EXERCISE.

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.