Sundowner 23
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 3; Flight Crew Total 450; Flight Crew Type 306
Confusion; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
I neglected to write down the traffic pattern altitude (TPA) of the airport; ZZZ; prior to take off. I used my EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) to look up the information during the descent but I misread and wrote down the airport elevation instead of the TPA. Starting at 10 nm. out; I called out my intention to overfly the field at; what I now realize; TPA. I don't recall any aircraft announcing positions at that time. When overflew the field; at between 2;500 to 2;300 ft.; I announced my position; altitude; and the intention to join the downwind. An aircraft had just taken the active runway but had not yet started the takeoff roll. I don't recall any other aircraft in the pattern. I was actually at or slightly below TPA but I believed myself to be at approximately 1;000 ft. above TPA so I continued to descend. By the time I turned base; I realized I was too close to the ground. I added power and climbed until I felt comfortable. I continued to fly the plane using visual references and landed. On the ground; I reviewed the airport information and realized my mistake. While I am glad that I decided to fly instead of continuing down a faulty process; I should have prepared better; double checked my information; knowing that I am more prone to error when multitasking; and I should have realized; by sight; that I was at TPA when I crossed the field. From now on; I will make a double check of the airport elevation and TPA a prelanding checklist item.
BE23 Private Pilot reported overflying the field at pattern altitude and descended too low on the approach to land.