Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Engineer; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 90; Flight Crew Total 26000; Flight Crew Type 600
Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter VFR In IMC; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory
Human Factors; Weather
Weather at ZZZ was Broken to Overcast about 2;000 with VCSH.We were being vectored for an ILS XXR and were approximately 5 miles on a downwind at 2;000 feet on the autopilot/flt director. Approach had told us we could have visual if we say the airport. My passenger and I had been looking for it in vain and I kept thinking that I knew where it was but there was a shower or lower hanging clouds preventing me from seeing it. I requested lower to increase my visibility and was cleared to 1;500.Although I couldn't see the airport; I had good ground contact and made my first mistake by requesting a Contact Approach which was granted. I turned to the north and began searching for the runway/airport that I had been into many times (second mistake was overconfidence). To my surprise; the GS then showed me high and the LOC came alive. Third mistake was believing these indications and attempting to follow them and failing to see the flickering NAV flag. Third mistake was listening to my passenger who kept saying that he thought we were too far north. At this point with me about 700 feet and heading east; tower gave me a low altitude alert and advised a tall tower about 1 mile ahead.Then I initiated an immediate climb and turn to the right advising tower that this was going to work. They told me to climb back to 2;000 feet; turn to 280 and recontact ZZZ1 approach. Oddly enough; after doing this and engaging the autopilot again; it tripped off twice and began a descent until it finally calmed down. Approach vectored me to toward the final approach course and asked if I had the other aircraft ahead in sight. I advised that I probably did but was a bit 'gun shy' at this point to accept a visual to which they said no problem and vectored me for an intercept and cleared for the approach. The remainder was normal. Approach and tower were excellent. Tower asked after landing what happened; did I lose sight of the airport or the ground. I advised that I had never lost sight of the ground but was essentially 'lost' and never could find the airport.Physiologically; I allowed myself to talk myself into requesting a Contact Approach to a situation where it was not warranted in an effort to shave off some time due to a prior late departure due to passengers arriving late. I also had convinced myself that the airport and runway would mysteriously appear once I got beyond or below the next cloud. Approach was attempting to be accommodating by offering a Visual IF I saw the airport. Technologically; I failed to use all of my equipment. In retrospect; I should have had my iPad on my lap with the map expanded to know EXACTLY how far from the airport that I was prior to even thinking about a Contact Approach. I probably could have put the #2 radio on the ILS as well and switched the VOR/LOC on the Garmin 530 back to GPS which would have provided me a needle on my HSI independent of where I was relative to the ILS and GS transmitters with their inherent angular limitations.With many years of flying experience; I still can't believe that I did anything so stupid and put my passengers in such danger.
Cessna pilot reported being unable to find the airport during a contact approach; resulting in a low-altitude alert from ATC.