Super King Air 350
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Flight Engineer; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 10; Flight Crew Total 5000; Flight Crew Type 200
Training / Qualification; Workload; Distraction; Confusion; Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Aircraft; Human Factors
During vector to final and descending below overcast layer; we did not level off with autopilot engaged. We disconnected autopilot and proceeded in VFR to join ILS. Controller gave us a low altitude alert as we were correcting and we thanked them for being alert. This was the first trip for pilot flying using this particular avionics package. It takes a little longer to correct things when you are not familiar with them as you question whether you are interpreting information correctly. FMS and autopilot systems work similarly; but have different ways and locations for annunciators. It's easy to think you have set something properly and then be forced to correct. This rapid correction can also prevent you from going back to see if something was 'set' or 'captured' or failed to 'engage' or 'capture.'
A BE 350 Pilot operating with a new avionics package had an altitude deviation after the autopilot did not capture the selected altitude during descent for approach. Confusion about FMS and Autopilot functions and control locations contributed.