Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC; Inflight Event / Encounter Object
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Aircraft
I was on the VOR/DME A approach. ATC instructed us to maintain 1;500 feet and to go all the way to the missed approach point before going missed due to other traffic that was in the pattern. This seemed fairly routine to me. I carefully explained to my student what ATC meant and he understood what was going on. As we continued I kept my scan going outside to ensure we would not collide with anything. Directly over the airfield just before we reached the Missed Approach Point I glanced left and saw a drone of some type at our altitude and with 500 feet of us. After the initial shock of seeing a drone that high I realized that it would not hit us. I notified ATC immediately of the drone that was over the airfield and the Controller seemed shocked to hear that report from me. After that he handed me back off to approach.
A pilot reported an NMAC with a Drone while on approach to ISM airport.