Narrative:

After departing vancouver, washington, on IFR flight plan to scappoose, or (2SP), was vectored to battleground VOR to cross VOR at 4000 ft. En route to VOR I requested full procedure turn approach which required altitude of 5500 ft. On crossing VOR outbound for procedure turn, controller then advised of required climb to 5000 ft. I complied and completed the approach without incident. In this case terrain was no factor as I was above MVA for area. Problem was caused by 2 events. First, the controller vectored me to IAF (btg VOR) at wrong altitude. Second, I did not catch and question the instructions, prior to crossing VOR outbound. Problem could have been caught with more vigilant controller and pilot. Related factor was extremely busy control frequency resulting in slow response time from ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL INST PLT FLYING A C182 AT PDX ALLOWS HIS ACFT TO BE VECTORED FOR AN APCH AT BELOW THE IAF ALT.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON, ON IFR FLT PLAN TO SCAPPOOSE, OR (2SP), WAS VECTORED TO BATTLEGROUND VOR TO CROSS VOR AT 4000 FT. ENRTE TO VOR I REQUESTED FULL PROC TURN APCH WHICH REQUIRED ALT OF 5500 FT. ON XING VOR OUTBOUND FOR PROC TURN, CTLR THEN ADVISED OF REQUIRED CLB TO 5000 FT. I COMPLIED AND COMPLETED THE APCH WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN THIS CASE TERRAIN WAS NO FACTOR AS I WAS ABOVE MVA FOR AREA. PROB WAS CAUSED BY 2 EVENTS. FIRST, THE CTLR VECTORED ME TO IAF (BTG VOR) AT WRONG ALT. SECOND, I DID NOT CATCH AND QUESTION THE INSTRUCTIONS, PRIOR TO XING VOR OUTBOUND. PROB COULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT WITH MORE VIGILANT CTLR AND PLT. RELATED FACTOR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY CTL FREQ RESULTING IN SLOW RESPONSE TIME FROM ATC.

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.