Narrative:

Upon missing the NDB approach at farmville , I entered the holding pattern and I was unable to contact ZDC because of frequency congestion, but could hear all xmissions. I was not able to receive the lyh ATIS (my alternate). Because of the strong headwinds and 2 missed approachs, I had approximately 2 hours of fuel remaining. WX was deteriorating everywhere. No one on the frequency was approaching farmville. Rather than waste fuel and encounter further deteriorating WX, I elected to climb to 4000 ft which could enable me to receive the lyh ATIS and which would be my MSA to lyh (lowest even altitude). (The ZDC frequency for lyh was not congested it turned out.) upon reaching 4000 ft, ZDC and I made contact and I received the lyh WX. I was then cleared to lyh direct at 4000 ft and made a standard ILS approach and landed successfully. I now understand that I should have left the protected airspace of the holding pattern at 2300 ft and climbed to 4000 ft within 10 NM of fyx before proceeding to lyh. I feel this cannot be accomplished precisely at farmville because the exact confines of the holding area are not specified and there is no precise approved way of measuring 10 NM from fvx. I feel that raising the altitude of the missed approach hold at fvx to 4000 ft would eliminate this problem.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA IN HOLDING AFTER MAP UNABLE TO CONTACT ATC.

Narrative: UPON MISSING THE NDB APCH AT FARMVILLE , I ENTERED THE HOLDING PATTERN AND I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ZDC BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION, BUT COULD HEAR ALL XMISSIONS. I WAS NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE THE LYH ATIS (MY ALTERNATE). BECAUSE OF THE STRONG HEADWINDS AND 2 MISSED APCHS, I HAD APPROX 2 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING. WX WAS DETERIORATING EVERYWHERE. NO ONE ON THE FREQ WAS APCHING FARMVILLE. RATHER THAN WASTE FUEL AND ENCOUNTER FURTHER DETERIORATING WX, I ELECTED TO CLB TO 4000 FT WHICH COULD ENABLE ME TO RECEIVE THE LYH ATIS AND WHICH WOULD BE MY MSA TO LYH (LOWEST EVEN ALT). (THE ZDC FREQ FOR LYH WAS NOT CONGESTED IT TURNED OUT.) UPON REACHING 4000 FT, ZDC AND I MADE CONTACT AND I RECEIVED THE LYH WX. I WAS THEN CLRED TO LYH DIRECT AT 4000 FT AND MADE A STANDARD ILS APCH AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT I SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE PROTECTED AIRSPACE OF THE HOLDING PATTERN AT 2300 FT AND CLBED TO 4000 FT WITHIN 10 NM OF FYX BEFORE PROCEEDING TO LYH. I FEEL THIS CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED PRECISELY AT FARMVILLE BECAUSE THE EXACT CONFINES OF THE HOLDING AREA ARE NOT SPECIFIED AND THERE IS NO PRECISE APPROVED WAY OF MEASURING 10 NM FROM FVX. I FEEL THAT RAISING THE ALT OF THE MISSED APCH HOLD AT FVX TO 4000 FT WOULD ELIMINATE THIS PROB.

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.