Baron 55/Cochise
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 85; Flight Crew Total 5500; Flight Crew Type 150
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
I was on an IFR flight plan in VMC conditions in the descent to my destination airport with my wife and 2 children onboard. Madison Approach gave me clearance to descend to 3;200 FT MSL. It was clear skies with calm winds in the area. I descended below my cleared altitude to approximately 2;600 FT MSL; when Madison Approach called me with a low altitude alert. I immediately cancelled my IFR clearance and continued descending VFR. At that time I was approximately 1;600 FT AGL over a flat land area. I was not in any danger of hitting any terrain or obstacles at that time. I was distracted with looking for the airport and any possible traffic in the area; therefore I lost track of maintaining my assigned altitude. Other factors that affected my altitude deviation was the excitement of our arrival after a long flight through some rough weather to our destination; where we would be surprising family members that we had not seen for a long while. This reminds me to not be complacent about my duties as the PIC and to not let emotions or other outside factors affect my scan of the cockpit instruments.
Distracted while searching for his destination airport at the end of a long IFR cross country the pilot of a BE55 descended 600 FT below his cleared altitude before being alerted by ATC.