Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 2 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 1700; Flight Crew Type 210
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Procedure; Weather
I was given vectors to the final approach for ILS14 at ASH. My glideslope receiver became inoperative and I either advised Approach Control or Tower (I don't recall who I was speaking to at the time.) that my glideslope was inoperative and I was converting to a localizer approach. During the descent I popped out into visual conditions and shortly after that the Tower came on with an urgent message 'Altitude alert; suggest you pull up immediately.' I advised the Tower that I had good visual contact with the field and that there was no conflict. The Tower also mentioned something about being below the MDA. I am not sure why I got this warning message from the Tower but I am thinking they still believed I was on an ILS approach. I have sent an email to a flight instructor asking for clarification but I do not believe I was ever below any MDA before obtaining clear visual conditions in and around the approach path and around the airport. Visibility below the cloud layer was excellent with a ceiling at the time around 1;400 FT while on the approach.
A light twin's ILS glideslope failed on the ASH ILS14 so the pilot continued on a Localizer Approach and ATC issued a LOW ALTITUDE ALERT PULL UP but the reporter believed he was above minimums when he became VMC.