Small aircraft on IFR approach turns off centerline has near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	253716
Time
Date	199310
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pns
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pns
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable 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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 33 flight time total : 393 flight time type : 393
ASRS Report	253716
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was handed over from approach to tower at an altitude that made a landing impossible. The tower cleared me to land on runway 17. Instead of advising tower of this, I veered off to the northeast to lose altitude. The tower asked me what I was doing, which I took to be a correction to return to centerline. Tower then informed me that I had turned into traffic landing behind me. I was not aware that the traffic was there. I was also informed later that the traffic passed 500 ft below me. The occurrence could have been averted if I would have continued the original approach and called a missed, or if I would have advised tower of my dilemma and received vectors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR APCH TURNS OFF CTRLINE HAS NMAC.

Narrative: I WAS HANDED OVER FROM APCH TO TWR AT AN ALT THAT MADE A LNDG IMPOSSIBLE. THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 17. INSTEAD OF ADVISING TWR OF THIS, I VEERED OFF TO THE NE TO LOSE ALT. THE TWR ASKED ME WHAT I WAS DOING, WHICH I TOOK TO BE A CORRECTION TO RETURN TO CTRLINE. TWR THEN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD TURNED INTO TFC LNDG BEHIND ME. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE TFC WAS THERE. I WAS ALSO INFORMED LATER THAT THE TFC PASSED 500 FT BELOW ME. THE OCCURRENCE COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED IF I WOULD HAVE CONTINUED THE ORIGINAL APCH AND CALLED A MISSED, OR IF I WOULD HAVE ADVISED TWR OF MY DILEMMA AND RECEIVED VECTORS.

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.