Originally Posted by 1800-how'smyflying
The way I was instructed to do an NDB approach was to get to the TOD, and immediatly descend at 1000 FPM to your MDA (but check there is no MIN heights before your MDA on the plate).
So if TOD is at 8 DME, and MDA is 400ft at 2 DME, just 'buzz on down' to 400ft. As there is no "not below" altitudes it is safe* (*although I can't guarentee safety).
A clear recipe for disaster. Once you level at MDA many miles from the airfield, you then drag in at low altitude, low speed, high drag, high power but most imortantly with a restricted view due to the unusually high nose attitude (3º higher than it would be for a stabilised approach).
This restricited view in marginal conditions frequently leads to a subtle and often unobserved entry into a descent - a factor that crops up in all too many accidents.