Narrative:

With the ceiling at 600', I asked for and was cleared for the VOR approach into gladewater. Due to the turbulence, I had difficulty maintaining the inbound course and thus elected to not descend to the MDA. As I passed over the airport, I saw about the first quarter of the runway lights through the side window, but recognized that circling to land would be through clouds. I declared a missed approach and asked longview approach for a VOR runway 13 approach into gregg county. The missed approach at gladewater put me within a degree of the desired inbound heading for VOR runway 13. With the turbulence it continued to be difficult to hold heading and altitude. I was bracketing the radial inbound in the clouds. In the turbulence and under the red cabin light, I misread the approach plate. I thought I should descend to MDA when 2.3 DME form GGG VOR (which is too soon). Upon reaching 2.3 DME I began to descend. As I broke through the clouds I was shocked to find that my windshield was completely covered with ice, except for a small clear area on the other side of the windshield. The side windows were clear and I was able to see the airport through the side window. The tower controllers also spotted me (and realized my error in descending). They told me to climb back to 1200', which I did. After crossing the GGG VOR, I again descended to the MDA and out of the clouds and was able to see the airport through the side windows. Below the clouds, the air was smooth. I was trying to figure out how I could land an aircraft while only looking out a side window. When less than 1 mi from the threshold, the ice flaked off the windshield and I was able to land uneventfully (with only a little hydroplaning on the wet runway). What were the lessons learned? Single pilot IFR at night in turbulence can be much more difficult than IFR during the day. It is hard to shuffle the charts, learn different approachs, maintain situational awareness and keep the aircraft upright by dim cabin lights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER IN SMA ENCOUNTERED ICING ON APCH, DESCENDED TOO SOON, CORRECTED BY APCH CTLR AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY AT GGG.

Narrative: WITH THE CEILING AT 600', I ASKED FOR AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VOR APCH INTO GLADEWATER. DUE TO THE TURB, I HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING THE INBND COURSE AND THUS ELECTED TO NOT DSND TO THE MDA. AS I PASSED OVER THE ARPT, I SAW ABOUT THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE RWY LIGHTS THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW, BUT RECOGNIZED THAT CIRCLING TO LAND WOULD BE THROUGH CLOUDS. I DECLARED A MISSED APCH AND ASKED LONGVIEW APCH FOR A VOR RWY 13 APCH INTO GREGG COUNTY. THE MISSED APCH AT GLADEWATER PUT ME WITHIN A DEGREE OF THE DESIRED INBND HDG FOR VOR RWY 13. WITH THE TURB IT CONTINUED TO BE DIFFICULT TO HOLD HDG AND ALT. I WAS BRACKETING THE RADIAL INBND IN THE CLOUDS. IN THE TURB AND UNDER THE RED CABIN LIGHT, I MISREAD THE APCH PLATE. I THOUGHT I SHOULD DSND TO MDA WHEN 2.3 DME FORM GGG VOR (WHICH IS TOO SOON). UPON REACHING 2.3 DME I BEGAN TO DSND. AS I BROKE THROUGH THE CLOUDS I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND THAT MY WINDSHIELD WAS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH ICE, EXCEPT FOR A SMALL CLR AREA ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE SIDE WINDOWS WERE CLR AND I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ARPT THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW. THE TWR CTLRS ALSO SPOTTED ME (AND REALIZED MY ERROR IN DSNDING). THEY TOLD ME TO CLB BACK TO 1200', WHICH I DID. AFTER XING THE GGG VOR, I AGAIN DSNDED TO THE MDA AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ARPT THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOWS. BELOW THE CLOUDS, THE AIR WAS SMOOTH. I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW I COULD LAND AN ACFT WHILE ONLY LOOKING OUT A SIDE WINDOW. WHEN LESS THAN 1 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD, THE ICE FLAKED OFF THE WINDSHIELD AND I WAS ABLE TO LAND UNEVENTFULLY (WITH ONLY A LITTLE HYDROPLANING ON THE WET RWY). WHAT WERE THE LESSONS LEARNED? SINGLE PLT IFR AT NIGHT IN TURB CAN BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN IFR DURING THE DAY. IT IS HARD TO SHUFFLE THE CHARTS, LEARN DIFFERENT APCHS, MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND KEEP THE ACFT UPRIGHT BY DIM CABIN LIGHTS.

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.