Narrative:

While inbound from the south to my destination airport I was watching a large cell about 3 mi north, slightly northeast of the airport that had the 4TH color on my radar brightly illuminated. I called unicom and asked for the altimeter and the field conditions. He gave me the altimeter and said the wind was out of the north about 30 and it is dark but not raining. Center cleared me for the NDB 35 approach. Coming from the south I was already established inbound. The NDB is on the field, I did not want to fly over the field and go back outbound, so I asked center to verify I was within 10 mi and wanted the straight in, she replied 8.6, so I started to let down to the MDA. My aircraft is equipped with VLF so I knew how far from the airport I was. The ride was smooth until I was 3.4 mi out at which point it got very dark and encountered turbulence and airspeed loss. Taking into consideration these factors and the level 4 or 5 thunderstorm north of the field, I decided that a landing should not be attempted and it would not be safe to continue inbound on the approach, so I went missed in VMC conditions. The missed approach is holding over the beacon on the inbound course. Due to the WX I could not and did not want to hold over the beacon so I climbed to the published altitude on the missed approach and made my holding south of the beacon on the inbound course but remained within 10 mi. I advised center that I did not want to hold over the beacon. In the meantime she worked me out a clearance to an alternate airport. I continued inbound as long as it was smooth. I wasn't sure if it was ok to make a straight approach without being vectored to final. I also knew that you should not go missed until the missed approach and fly the published missed. Due to WX it would not have been safe. I should never have attempted an approach and landing with a thunderstorm that close to the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORPORATE PLT MAKES A DELAYED BUT GOOD DECISION AFTER MISSED APCH IN DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ACCOUNT TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative: WHILE INBOUND FROM THE S TO MY DEST ARPT I WAS WATCHING A LARGE CELL ABOUT 3 MI N, SLIGHTLY NE OF THE ARPT THAT HAD THE 4TH COLOR ON MY RADAR BRIGHTLY ILLUMINATED. I CALLED UNICOM AND ASKED FOR THE ALTIMETER AND THE FIELD CONDITIONS. HE GAVE ME THE ALTIMETER AND SAID THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE N ABOUT 30 AND IT IS DARK BUT NOT RAINING. CTR CLRED ME FOR THE NDB 35 APCH. COMING FROM THE S I WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED INBOUND. THE NDB IS ON THE FIELD, I DID NOT WANT TO FLY OVER THE FIELD AND GO BACK OUTBOUND, SO I ASKED CTR TO VERIFY I WAS WITHIN 10 MI AND WANTED THE STRAIGHT IN, SHE REPLIED 8.6, SO I STARTED TO LET DOWN TO THE MDA. MY ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH VLF SO I KNEW HOW FAR FROM THE ARPT I WAS. THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH UNTIL I WAS 3.4 MI OUT AT WHICH POINT IT GOT VERY DARK AND ENCOUNTERED TURB AND AIRSPD LOSS. TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THESE FACTORS AND THE LEVEL 4 OR 5 TSTM N OF THE FIELD, I DECIDED THAT A LNDG SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED AND IT WOULD NOT BE SAFE TO CONTINUE INBOUND ON THE APCH, SO I WENT MISSED IN VMC CONDITIONS. THE MISSED APCH IS HOLDING OVER THE BEACON ON THE INBOUND COURSE. DUE TO THE WX I COULD NOT AND DID NOT WANT TO HOLD OVER THE BEACON SO I CLBED TO THE PUBLISHED ALT ON THE MISSED APCH AND MADE MY HOLDING S OF THE BEACON ON THE INBOUND COURSE BUT REMAINED WITHIN 10 MI. I ADVISED CTR THAT I DID NOT WANT TO HOLD OVER THE BEACON. IN THE MEANTIME SHE WORKED ME OUT A CLRNC TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT. I CONTINUED INBOUND AS LONG AS IT WAS SMOOTH. I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS OK TO MAKE A STRAIGHT APCH WITHOUT BEING VECTORED TO FINAL. I ALSO KNEW THAT YOU SHOULD NOT GO MISSED UNTIL THE MISSED APCH AND FLY THE PUBLISHED MISSED. DUE TO WX IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SAFE. I SHOULD NEVER HAVE ATTEMPTED AN APCH AND LNDG WITH A TSTM THAT CLOSE TO THE ARPT.

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.