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A king air 200 pilot inadvertently descends below minimum altitude. When the pilot discovered the anomaly, he quickly climbed back to assigned altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 599854 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200311 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : xna.airport |
| State Reference | AR |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : fsm.tracon tower : xna.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Super King Air 200 HDC |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 599854 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On nov/mon/03, I was on approach to runway 16 at northwest regional (xna) when I descended below minimums for that area. I was cleared by approach control from 6000 ft MSL to 4000 ft MSL about 14 mi out. When I set the descent altitude in the autoplt, I must have someway hit the trim button and kicked off the autoplt. When I reached 4000 ft MSL the plane continued the descent below minimums. When I noticed the altitude was well below minimums I pulled up at once and climbed to a safe altitude. A few moments later xna tower called to tell me I was below minimums, but I had already started my climb. This was clearly pilot error on my part. I should have had my instrument scan working earlier. I work hard to be sure things like this don't happen to me. I have never had this happen before and can assure you I'm well aware of the safety issue in this event. I have spent the last 2 nights laying awake thinking of all things I should have done to prevent this. On dec/wed/03, I will be in wichita, ks, and will be doing flight training in my aircraft and also in feb, I will be at commercial training school for a week of training. At both of these training events I will review this situation with my instructors and do training to ensure this does not happen again.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A KING AIR 200 PLT INADVERTENTLY DSNDS BELOW MINIMUM ALT. WHEN THE PLT DISCOVERED THE ANOMALY, HE QUICKLY CLBED BACK TO ASSIGNED ALT.
Narrative: ON NOV/MON/03, I WAS ON APCH TO RWY 16 AT NORTHWEST REGIONAL (XNA) WHEN I DSNDED BELOW MINIMUMS FOR THAT AREA. I WAS CLRED BY APCH CTL FROM 6000 FT MSL TO 4000 FT MSL ABOUT 14 MI OUT. WHEN I SET THE DSCNT ALT IN THE AUTOPLT, I MUST HAVE SOMEWAY HIT THE TRIM BUTTON AND KICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT. WHEN I REACHED 4000 FT MSL THE PLANE CONTINUED THE DSCNT BELOW MINIMUMS. WHEN I NOTICED THE ALT WAS WELL BELOW MINIMUMS I PULLED UP AT ONCE AND CLBED TO A SAFE ALT. A FEW MOMENTS LATER XNA TWR CALLED TO TELL ME I WAS BELOW MINIMUMS, BUT I HAD ALREADY STARTED MY CLB. THIS WAS CLRLY PLT ERROR ON MY PART. I SHOULD HAVE HAD MY INST SCAN WORKING EARLIER. I WORK HARD TO BE SURE THINGS LIKE THIS DON'T HAPPEN TO ME. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE AND CAN ASSURE YOU I'M WELL AWARE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE IN THIS EVENT. I HAVE SPENT THE LAST 2 NIGHTS LAYING AWAKE THINKING OF ALL THINGS I SHOULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS. ON DEC/WED/03, I WILL BE IN WICHITA, KS, AND WILL BE DOING FLT TRAINING IN MY ACFT AND ALSO IN FEB, I WILL BE AT COMMERCIAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR A WK OF TRAINING. AT BOTH OF THESE TRAINING EVENTS I WILL REVIEW THIS SIT WITH MY INSTRUCTORS AND DO TRAINING TO ENSURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
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.