Narrative:

After holding at vouch intersection, 20 mi east of lyh, for 2 hours waiting for a thunderstorm to move past the airport, we decided to execute the VOR DME approach to runway 21 because the storm appeared to have moved southwest of the VOR, blocking the final approach course for the ILS to runway 3. The reported WX was above straight-in and circling minimums for the VOR approach and the wind was out of the northwest at 10 KTS gusting to 18 KTS. Prior to reaching the final approach fix, ZDC terminated our radar service and told us to switch to the CTAF. Upon reaching MDA, we were still in the clouds. The missed approach procedure calls for a straight ahead climb to the VOR, which is 5 mi southwest of the airport. Upon reaching the missed approach, still in IMC conditions, we found that the missed approach course was blocked by the thunderstorm. We were also painting at least level 3 precipitation to our left and right. We quickly decided that the only safe thing to do was to make an immediate hard, right climbing turn back to the final approach course. I attempted to contact ZDC as soon as practical, but he was very busy vectoring other flts around the WX and onto the final approach course right in front of us. After finally establishing contact with the controller and advising him of what we were doing and why, he started yelling at us to turn around and fly the published missed approach procedure because he was vectoring other planes onto the approach. After advising him that due to WX the only heading that we could fly was our present one, he vectored the other traffic away from the final approach course. After being cleared to our alternate, we declared a minimum fuel situation. This same controller then told us to reduce our speed as much as practical and proceeded to vector us behind a slower aircraft going into the same airport. This action was totally uncalled for, even if he was agitated at us. I honestly do not know what can be done to prevent a recurrence of this situation. We thought that we had everything going for us in that the reported WX was above circling minimums, and the missed approach course appeared to be clear until we arrived at the missed approach point. I think that this particular situation is extremely rare and I also think that we took the safest course of action, given the conditions, even if it was illegal and inconvenient for the controller. I honestly think that if we had done as the controller requested, I may not have survived to write this report.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX CONCERNS LED TO FLC'S DEV FROM PUBLISHED MISSED APCH PROC.

Narrative: AFTER HOLDING AT VOUCH INTXN, 20 MI E OF LYH, FOR 2 HRS WAITING FOR A TSTM TO MOVE PAST THE ARPT, WE DECIDED TO EXECUTE THE VOR DME APCH TO RWY 21 BECAUSE THE STORM APPEARED TO HAVE MOVED SW OF THE VOR, BLOCKING THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR THE ILS TO RWY 3. THE RPTED WX WAS ABOVE STRAIGHT-IN AND CIRCLING MINIMUMS FOR THE VOR APCH AND THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE NW AT 10 KTS GUSTING TO 18 KTS. PRIOR TO REACHING THE FINAL APCH FIX, ZDC TERMINATED OUR RADAR SVC AND TOLD US TO SWITCH TO THE CTAF. UPON REACHING MDA, WE WERE STILL IN THE CLOUDS. THE MISSED APCH PROC CALLS FOR A STRAIGHT AHEAD CLB TO THE VOR, WHICH IS 5 MI SW OF THE ARPT. UPON REACHING THE MISSED APCH, STILL IN IMC CONDITIONS, WE FOUND THAT THE MISSED APCH COURSE WAS BLOCKED BY THE TSTM. WE WERE ALSO PAINTING AT LEAST LEVEL 3 PRECIPITATION TO OUR L AND R. WE QUICKLY DECIDED THAT THE ONLY SAFE THING TO DO WAS TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE HARD, R CLBING TURN BACK TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZDC AS SOON AS PRACTICAL, BUT HE WAS VERY BUSY VECTORING OTHER FLTS AROUND THE WX AND ONTO THE FINAL APCH COURSE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. AFTER FINALLY ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH THE CTLR AND ADVISING HIM OF WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WHY, HE STARTED YELLING AT US TO TURN AROUND AND FLY THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH PROC BECAUSE HE WAS VECTORING OTHER PLANES ONTO THE APCH. AFTER ADVISING HIM THAT DUE TO WX THE ONLY HDG THAT WE COULD FLY WAS OUR PRESENT ONE, HE VECTORED THE OTHER TFC AWAY FROM THE FINAL APCH COURSE. AFTER BEING CLRED TO OUR ALTERNATE, WE DECLARED A MINIMUM FUEL SIT. THIS SAME CTLR THEN TOLD US TO REDUCE OUR SPD AS MUCH AS PRACTICAL AND PROCEEDED TO VECTOR US BEHIND A SLOWER ACFT GOING INTO THE SAME ARPT. THIS ACTION WAS TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR, EVEN IF HE WAS AGITATED AT US. I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THIS SIT. WE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD EVERYTHING GOING FOR US IN THAT THE RPTED WX WAS ABOVE CIRCLING MINIMUMS, AND THE MISSED APCH COURSE APPEARED TO BE CLR UNTIL WE ARRIVED AT THE MISSED APCH POINT. I THINK THAT THIS PARTICULAR SIT IS EXTREMELY RARE AND I ALSO THINK THAT WE TOOK THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION, GIVEN THE CONDITIONS, EVEN IF IT WAS ILLEGAL AND INCONVENIENT FOR THE CTLR. I HONESTLY THINK THAT IF WE HAD DONE AS THE CTLR REQUESTED, I MAY NOT HAVE SURVIVED TO WRITE THIS RPT.

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.