Narrative:

This report is being filed because of a misunderstanding of ATC procedures on the part of the pilot and a misunderstanding of the pilots intentions on the part of the tower controller. I was on an IFR flight plan from erv to T17. Cll was filed as an alternate. On reaching T17 area at MVA (1700') I was still IMC so I requested the localizer/DME 17 approach to dwh. Ceilings at dwh were reported to be 1000' and 7 mi visibility. I explained to approach my intentions to get below IMC and go VFR to T17. This was approved and vectors were given and followed. The approach controllers brought us inside the FAF (flika) at 6.0 DME. We joined the localizer at 2000' and 4.5 DME. The winds were out of the northwest at 15 KTS. This created a situation requiring rapid descent and high airspeed to get down to the circling approach minimums of 620'. On joining the localizer, I was cleared for the approach and told to contact the tower. Tower was contacted and instructions were given to circle to land on 35L. I explained that if conditions permitted we would like to go to T17. He explained the field was IFR, a SVFR would have to be obtained, and if approach had approved of my intentions. My descent rate was 800-1000 FPM, airspeed 125 KTS and I was nearing the missed approach point. We broke out at approximately 1000' and over the airport. On not seeing the runway in front of me was somewhat confused at first, but recognized a lit group of bldgs ahead and to my right about 5 mi. At this point the tower controller asked if my intentions were to still go to weiser. I said that they were and he replied with a strong suggestion of cancelling IFR in order to give me a SVFR out of the control zone. We were at 800' just southwest of the field and I was unsure if the ragged ceilings would permit me to get to weiser VFR. So I refused to cancel IFR until I was more confident of the WX conditions. The controller then replied that I couldn't go to weiser IFR (which I knew). At this point a ragged cloud base appeared in front so a turn to the left was begun and tower was notified that I was circling for 35L. I was about 2 mi southwest of the field at this point. During this turn approach asked if I had the runway in sight. I reported that, in the turn, the wind was obscuring the view and he immediately issued missed approach instructions. Before he finished these instructions, my turn was completed and the runway was in sight approximately 2 mi in front. I reported this to the controller and cancelled IFR as long as he would give me a SVFR to land. He complied and requested that I call the tower after parking. On talking to the controller afterward he explained the IFR approach procedures and the need for SVFR upon announcing my intentions (after breaking out into VMC) to go elsewhere. On review of this situation in my own mind I felt I made several incorrect decisions. The first was lack of recognition of a bad approach and not going around. Another mistake I made was not just getting into a proper pattern for the circling approach. Perhaps another mistake on my part was not just landing on 35L with the circling approach to start with. If conditions were so bad that I had to evaluate the WX at 800' for a min or so before a decision could be made, it was too close to call and I should have immediately elected to land at hooks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT WANTING TO LAND AT T17 EXECUTES INS APCH TO DWH INTENDED TO CANCEL IFR AND PROCEED VFR, BUT WAFFLES OVER THE DECISION WHILE CIRCLING.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS BEING FILED BECAUSE OF A MISUNDERSTANDING OF ATC PROCS ON THE PART OF THE PLT AND A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE PLTS INTENTIONS ON THE PART OF THE TWR CTLR. I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM ERV TO T17. CLL WAS FILED AS AN ALTERNATE. ON REACHING T17 AREA AT MVA (1700') I WAS STILL IMC SO I REQUESTED THE LOC/DME 17 APCH TO DWH. CEILINGS AT DWH WERE RPTED TO BE 1000' AND 7 MI VISIBILITY. I EXPLAINED TO APCH MY INTENTIONS TO GET BELOW IMC AND GO VFR TO T17. THIS WAS APPROVED AND VECTORS WERE GIVEN AND FOLLOWED. THE APCH CTLRS BROUGHT US INSIDE THE FAF (FLIKA) AT 6.0 DME. WE JOINED THE LOC AT 2000' AND 4.5 DME. THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NW AT 15 KTS. THIS CREATED A SITUATION REQUIRING RAPID DSNT AND HIGH AIRSPD TO GET DOWN TO THE CIRCLING APCH MINIMUMS OF 620'. ON JOINING THE LOC, I WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH AND TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. TWR WAS CONTACTED AND INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN TO CIRCLE TO LAND ON 35L. I EXPLAINED THAT IF CONDITIONS PERMITTED WE WOULD LIKE TO GO TO T17. HE EXPLAINED THE FIELD WAS IFR, A SVFR WOULD HAVE TO BE OBTAINED, AND IF APCH HAD APPROVED OF MY INTENTIONS. MY DSNT RATE WAS 800-1000 FPM, AIRSPD 125 KTS AND I WAS NEARING THE MISSED APCH POINT. WE BROKE OUT AT APPROX 1000' AND OVER THE ARPT. ON NOT SEEING THE RWY IN FRONT OF ME WAS SOMEWHAT CONFUSED AT FIRST, BUT RECOGNIZED A LIT GROUP OF BLDGS AHEAD AND TO MY RIGHT ABOUT 5 MI. AT THIS POINT THE TWR CTLR ASKED IF MY INTENTIONS WERE TO STILL GO TO WEISER. I SAID THAT THEY WERE AND HE REPLIED WITH A STRONG SUGGESTION OF CANCELLING IFR IN ORDER TO GIVE ME A SVFR OUT OF THE CTL ZONE. WE WERE AT 800' JUST SW OF THE FIELD AND I WAS UNSURE IF THE RAGGED CEILINGS WOULD PERMIT ME TO GET TO WEISER VFR. SO I REFUSED TO CANCEL IFR UNTIL I WAS MORE CONFIDENT OF THE WX CONDITIONS. THE CTLR THEN REPLIED THAT I COULDN'T GO TO WEISER IFR (WHICH I KNEW). AT THIS POINT A RAGGED CLOUD BASE APPEARED IN FRONT SO A TURN TO THE LEFT WAS BEGUN AND TWR WAS NOTIFIED THAT I WAS CIRCLING FOR 35L. I WAS ABOUT 2 MI SW OF THE FIELD AT THIS POINT. DURING THIS TURN APCH ASKED IF I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. I RPTED THAT, IN THE TURN, THE WIND WAS OBSCURING THE VIEW AND HE IMMEDIATELY ISSUED MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS. BEFORE HE FINISHED THESE INSTRUCTIONS, MY TURN WAS COMPLETED AND THE RWY WAS IN SIGHT APPROX 2 MI IN FRONT. I RPTED THIS TO THE CTLR AND CANCELLED IFR AS LONG AS HE WOULD GIVE ME A SVFR TO LAND. HE COMPLIED AND REQUESTED THAT I CALL THE TWR AFTER PARKING. ON TALKING TO THE CTLR AFTERWARD HE EXPLAINED THE IFR APCH PROCS AND THE NEED FOR SVFR UPON ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS (AFTER BREAKING OUT INTO VMC) TO GO ELSEWHERE. ON REVIEW OF THIS SITUATION IN MY OWN MIND I FELT I MADE SEVERAL INCORRECT DECISIONS. THE FIRST WAS LACK OF RECOGNITION OF A BAD APCH AND NOT GOING AROUND. ANOTHER MISTAKE I MADE WAS NOT JUST GETTING INTO A PROPER PATTERN FOR THE CIRCLING APCH. PERHAPS ANOTHER MISTAKE ON MY PART WAS NOT JUST LNDG ON 35L WITH THE CIRCLING APCH TO START WITH. IF CONDITIONS WERE SO BAD THAT I HAD TO EVALUATE THE WX AT 800' FOR A MIN OR SO BEFORE A DECISION COULD BE MADE, IT WAS TOO CLOSE TO CALL AND I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY ELECTED TO LAND AT HOOKS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.