Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 54; Flight Crew Total 290; Flight Crew Type 180
Distraction; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Airport
I was approaching my first visit to MRY on an instrument flight plan at night. The METAR indicated VMC; however as most of the 2 hour flight was above an under cast; I had been focusing on the ILS 10 approach with circle to land based on winds. I spotted the beacon about 10 miles away at my 2 o'clock and was cleared for the visual.When I switched to Tower they offered Runway 10 with calm winds; but as I had the circle to land in my head and had the airport in sight I said I would stick with 28 and turned on a 45 for the downwind. I was so focused on the possible instrument approaches I would shoot upon arrival that I did not study well enough the visual approach issues such as the high terrain to the west and the 1;000 feet AGL pattern altitude. Tower called low altitude alert to me as I started seeing terrain indications on my iPad and I took immediate evasive maneuvers by adding throttle and stopping my descent. I was flying over a dark hill and did not have a visual reference as to my low altitude. As a new instrument pilot I need to be more aware of the obstacles around the airport even if they are not on an approach or missed approach segment.
The pilot of a single engine Beechcraft reported receiving a low altitude alert from ATC during a visual approach in MRY due to lack of familiarity with the area and distraction by the anticipated weather conditions.