C172 instructor and trainee descended below published altitude on the NDB runway 9L approach at sfb.

Attributes
ACN	502800
Time
Date	200102
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfb.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mco.tracon
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other ndb
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : instrument non precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 58 flight time total : 340
ASRS Report	502800
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : far non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were turned inbound on the NDB runway 9L approach with vectors to the final approach course. We were turned inbound to intercept the course and then track the course inbound. We were not given any distance information, nor did my student have VOR information to determine his position from the sfb airport. If we had been given distance information we would have known not to begin our descent. There was a sequence of lights resembling sanford airport that led me to believe we were closer than we actually were. Also, the pilot controled lighting at sanford airport was not turned on. If we were given distance information when initially turned inbound, and had the lights at sanford been turned on, this could have been prevented. When we were turned inbound and intercepted the course, I advised student to begin a descent to get us into sanford since I had seen the lights resembling sanford airport, and believed us to have been cleared for the approach. At 1200 ft, orl approach cleared us for the approach and requested our altitude. We gave him our current altitude and he explained that we had not been cleared for a lower altitude and needed to climb back to 2000 ft before beginning approach. We did so and continued approach. When we arrived at sanford, the approach lighting did not work (pilot controled lighting) so we had to land on a dark runway. Since we were in VMC the entire approach there were no conflicts to safety, however, had the approach been in IMC there could have been. For that reason it would be a good idea to have ATC controllers give distance information whenever turning a plane inbound on the approach (especially non precision on field approachs).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR AND TRAINEE DSNDED BELOW PUBLISHED ALT ON THE NDB RWY 9L APCH AT SFB.

Narrative: WE WERE TURNED INBOUND ON THE NDB RWY 9L APCH WITH VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. WE WERE TURNED INBOUND TO INTERCEPT THE COURSE AND THEN TRACK THE COURSE INBOUND. WE WERE NOT GIVEN ANY DISTANCE INFO, NOR DID MY STUDENT HAVE VOR INFO TO DETERMINE HIS POS FROM THE SFB ARPT. IF WE HAD BEEN GIVEN DISTANCE INFO WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN NOT TO BEGIN OUR DSCNT. THERE WAS A SEQUENCE OF LIGHTS RESEMBLING SANFORD ARPT THAT LED ME TO BELIEVE WE WERE CLOSER THAN WE ACTUALLY WERE. ALSO, THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING AT SANFORD ARPT WAS NOT TURNED ON. IF WE WERE GIVEN DISTANCE INFO WHEN INITIALLY TURNED INBOUND, AND HAD THE LIGHTS AT SANFORD BEEN TURNED ON, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. WHEN WE WERE TURNED INBOUND AND INTERCEPTED THE COURSE, I ADVISED STUDENT TO BEGIN A DSCNT TO GET US INTO SANFORD SINCE I HAD SEEN THE LIGHTS RESEMBLING SANFORD ARPT, AND BELIEVED US TO HAVE BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH. AT 1200 FT, ORL APCH CLRED US FOR THE APCH AND REQUESTED OUR ALT. WE GAVE HIM OUR CURRENT ALT AND HE EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR A LOWER ALT AND NEEDED TO CLB BACK TO 2000 FT BEFORE BEGINNING APCH. WE DID SO AND CONTINUED APCH. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT SANFORD, THE APCH LIGHTING DID NOT WORK (PLT CTLED LIGHTING) SO WE HAD TO LAND ON A DARK RWY. SINCE WE WERE IN VMC THE ENTIRE APCH THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS TO SAFETY, HOWEVER, HAD THE APCH BEEN IN IMC THERE COULD HAVE BEEN. FOR THAT REASON IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE ATC CTLRS GIVE DISTANCE INFO WHENEVER TURNING A PLANE INBOUND ON THE APCH (ESPECIALLY NON PRECISION ON FIELD APCHS).

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.