GA small aircraft track heading deviation while making an ILS back course approach to ict.

Attributes
ACN	119871
Time
Date	198908
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ict
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ict
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	119871
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I am reporting a poorly flown course into runway 19L, at wichita mid continent airport. I filed my IFR flight plan in the air en route to wichita, I was under radar vectors to the back course ILS and on the back course ILS when I was a mile off course on final approach. To the best of my knowledge I did not bust any altitudes. I was under radar surveillance at all times, was descending to VFR visibility and ceilings below me. To the best of my knowledge did not come close to any other aircraft or endanger any property. However I did fly very poorly an unacceptable back course ILS. Due to the fact I was off course both to the left and to the right back course ILS. I believe the reasons to be for such a poorly flown ILS are twofold. My area of blame is that I started this flight VFR, I was flying down on business and my mind was on the business, not tuned to fly IFR and with VFR ceilings and visibility below the clouds I was not concerned about making a precision approach, therefore I was lax in my flying. I was flying an aircraft that was different than the one I had been flying in previous months, different radios, in different arrangements, and different flying characteristics, an small aircraft X versus an small aircraft Y. Therefore I was not as comfortable in flying this aircraft as I was in flying the small aircraft X. I had a directional gyro that was precessing more than what I was used to, however, it was acceptable for IFR flight but my xchk had become lax due to the fact that the small aircraft X had a better dg and it did not have any precessing. In my defense the approach control into mid west continent were not always clear as to at which point I was given clearance to fly the approach. Mid continent approach control told me to expect a back course ILS for 19L and for some reason due to either poor radio transmission or my inattentiveness or their language and I don't know which one is to blame. I never felt throughout the flight until the very end that I had been cleared for a back course ILS. At one time on the radio and had crossed the ILS and was heading west of it and I asked if I was to turn on the ILS or maintain heading, they then had me turn to a heading to intercept the ILS and I was on a zigzag pattern heading coming back down the ILS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA TRACK HEADING DEVIATION WHILE MAKING AN ILS BC APCH TO ICT.

Narrative: I AM REPORTING A POORLY FLOWN COURSE INTO RWY 19L, AT WICHITA MID CONTINENT ARPT. I FILED MY IFR FLT PLAN IN THE AIR ENRTE TO WICHITA, I WAS UNDER RADAR VECTORS TO THE BACK COURSE ILS AND ON THE BACK COURSE ILS WHEN I WAS A MILE OFF COURSE ON FINAL APCH. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE I DID NOT BUST ANY ALTS. I WAS UNDER RADAR SURVEILLANCE AT ALL TIMES, WAS DESCENDING TO VFR VISIBILITY AND CEILINGS BELOW ME. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE DID NOT COME CLOSE TO ANY OTHER ACFT OR ENDANGER ANY PROPERTY. HOWEVER I DID FLY VERY POORLY AN UNACCEPTABLE BACK COURSE ILS. DUE TO THE FACT I WAS OFF COURSE BOTH TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT BACK COURSE ILS. I BELIEVE THE REASONS TO BE FOR SUCH A POORLY FLOWN ILS ARE TWOFOLD. MY AREA OF BLAME IS THAT I STARTED THIS FLT VFR, I WAS FLYING DOWN ON BUSINESS AND MY MIND WAS ON THE BUSINESS, NOT TUNED TO FLY IFR AND WITH VFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY BELOW THE CLOUDS I WAS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING A PRECISION APCH, THEREFORE I WAS LAX IN MY FLYING. I WAS FLYING AN ACFT THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE I HAD BEEN FLYING IN PREVIOUS MONTHS, DIFFERENT RADIOS, IN DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENTS, AND DIFFERENT FLYING CHARACTERISTICS, AN SMA X VERSUS AN SMA Y. THEREFORE I WAS NOT AS COMFORTABLE IN FLYING THIS ACFT AS I WAS IN FLYING THE SMA X. I HAD A DIRECTIONAL GYRO THAT WAS PRECESSING MORE THAN WHAT I WAS USED TO, HOWEVER, IT WAS ACCEPTABLE FOR IFR FLT BUT MY XCHK HAD BECOME LAX DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SMA X HAD A BETTER DG AND IT DID NOT HAVE ANY PRECESSING. IN MY DEFENSE THE APCH CTL INTO MID WEST CONTINENT WERE NOT ALWAYS CLEAR AS TO AT WHICH POINT I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO FLY THE APCH. MID CONTINENT APCH CTL TOLD ME TO EXPECT A BACK COURSE ILS FOR 19L AND FOR SOME REASON DUE TO EITHER POOR RADIO XMISSION OR MY INATTENTIVENESS OR THEIR LANGUAGE AND I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE IS TO BLAME. I NEVER FELT THROUGHOUT THE FLT UNTIL THE VERY END THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A BACK COURSE ILS. AT ONE TIME ON THE RADIO AND HAD CROSSED THE ILS AND WAS HDG W OF IT AND I ASKED IF I WAS TO TURN ON THE ILS OR MAINTAIN HDG, THEY THEN HAD ME TURN TO A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE ILS AND I WAS ON A ZIGZAG PATTERN HDG COMING BACK DOWN THE ILS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.