Narrative:

I was handed off from xyz approach to ZZZ approach 7 mins north. I called ZZZ approach and said 'lifeguard flight, 4000 ft with ATIS information.' ATIS was giving ILS runway 6 and GPS runway 36 as approachs in use. I received a clearance to descend to 3000 ft and join the localizer for runway 6. I thought he said runway 6, however, when I tuned the localizer for runway 6, the intercept heading could not have been correct. Approach had told me to turn right 10 degrees to intercept the localizer. Which made my heading about 210 degrees. Still descending, I called approach back to verify runway 6 localizer. He then said, 'no it was for localizer runway 18.' while retuning the radio, I missed the #1 autoplt kick off and in doing so, dropped the capture command for 3000 ft. Stopping the descent took me to 2800 ft. By then I was VMC, and advised approach I was VMC and canceled IFR. He cleared me direct to the hospital and advised me to contact tower, which I did with no further incident. Single pilot IFR is demanding in itself. I was expecting to hear ILS or localizer runway 6 and direct to the hospital after breaking out on approach. I was also expecting to be handed off earlier from approach control, all of which has occurred many times in the past. I wasn't expecting the autoplt to malfunction at a rushed, critical time like that. Had I asked for an earlier handoff from approach, I would possibly only have had 1 error at a time instead of all at once, and listening closer to what is said instead of what is anticipated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LIFEGUARD HELI PLT DEVIATES FROM HIS ASSIGNED ALT WHEN THE AUTOPLT DROPS OFF THE SYS NEAR ZZZ, US. PLT WAS EXPECTING APCH TO THE ATIS LISTED RWY WHICH HAD BEEN CHANGED.

Narrative: I WAS HANDED OFF FROM XYZ APCH TO ZZZ APCH 7 MINS N. I CALLED ZZZ APCH AND SAID 'LIFEGUARD FLT, 4000 FT WITH ATIS INFO.' ATIS WAS GIVING ILS RWY 6 AND GPS RWY 36 AS APCHS IN USE. I RECEIVED A CLRNC TO DSND TO 3000 FT AND JOIN THE LOC FOR RWY 6. I THOUGHT HE SAID RWY 6, HOWEVER, WHEN I TUNED THE LOC FOR RWY 6, THE INTERCEPT HDG COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CORRECT. APCH HAD TOLD ME TO TURN R 10 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. WHICH MADE MY HDG ABOUT 210 DEGS. STILL DSNDING, I CALLED APCH BACK TO VERIFY RWY 6 LOC. HE THEN SAID, 'NO IT WAS FOR LOC RWY 18.' WHILE RETUNING THE RADIO, I MISSED THE #1 AUTOPLT KICK OFF AND IN DOING SO, DROPPED THE CAPTURE COMMAND FOR 3000 FT. STOPPING THE DSCNT TOOK ME TO 2800 FT. BY THEN I WAS VMC, AND ADVISED APCH I WAS VMC AND CANCELED IFR. HE CLRED ME DIRECT TO THE HOSPITAL AND ADVISED ME TO CONTACT TWR, WHICH I DID WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. SINGLE PLT IFR IS DEMANDING IN ITSELF. I WAS EXPECTING TO HEAR ILS OR LOC RWY 6 AND DIRECT TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER BREAKING OUT ON APCH. I WAS ALSO EXPECTING TO BE HANDED OFF EARLIER FROM APCH CTL, ALL OF WHICH HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. I WASN'T EXPECTING THE AUTOPLT TO MALFUNCTION AT A RUSHED, CRITICAL TIME LIKE THAT. HAD I ASKED FOR AN EARLIER HDOF FROM APCH, I WOULD POSSIBLY ONLY HAVE HAD 1 ERROR AT A TIME INSTEAD OF ALL AT ONCE, AND LISTENING CLOSER TO WHAT IS SAID INSTEAD OF WHAT IS ANTICIPATED.

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.