Narrative:

Approaching wilmington, nc, airport. ATIS reported winds variable at 3 KTS with ceilings greater than 5000 ft and visibility greater than 5 mi. About 10 mi to northwest of airport and 6000 ft we reported airport in sight. Approach control wanted us to follow a military C130 on a 3 mi final. We did not have him in sight. Approach control said to fly westerly heading and intercept a straight-in final to runway 17 and cleared for visual approach, contact tower. Tower cleared us to land. However the WX became lower in the area approach control had headed us into. Specifically, we were 4 mi out and a puffy little cumulus was now between us and airport. So, we proceeded westerly around cloud to come back to a south easterly heading to intercept a final. Tower canceled landing clearance and issued 'maintain altitude and heading and contact approach.' switched radios back to approach who said he had a departure in our vicinity and needed to keep us clear. Approach then vectored us around to another final and we landed. At the FBO was a note asking to contact tower. The approach controller asked us to give him a heads-up next time something similar happened. I explained the deviation around WX and we parted as professional friends.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CPR LTT TURBOPROP DEVIATED FROM VISUAL APCH CLRNC TO DEVIATE AROUND WX RESULTING IN ATC INTERVENTION AND CANCELING LNDG CLRNC. RPTR WAS THEN VECTORED TO ANOTHER FINAL FOR A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: APCHING WILMINGTON, NC, ARPT. ATIS RPTED WINDS VARIABLE AT 3 KTS WITH CEILINGS GREATER THAN 5000 FT AND VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 5 MI. ABOUT 10 MI TO NW OF ARPT AND 6000 FT WE RPTED ARPT IN SIGHT. APCH CTL WANTED US TO FOLLOW A MIL C130 ON A 3 MI FINAL. WE DID NOT HAVE HIM IN SIGHT. APCH CTL SAID TO FLY WESTERLY HEADING AND INTERCEPT A STRAIGHT-IN FINAL TO RWY 17 AND CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH, CONTACT TWR. TWR CLRED US TO LAND. HOWEVER THE WX BECAME LOWER IN THE AREA APCH CTL HAD HEADED US INTO. SPECIFICALLY, WE WERE 4 MI OUT AND A PUFFY LITTLE CUMULUS WAS NOW BTWN US AND ARPT. SO, WE PROCEEDED WESTERLY AROUND CLOUD TO COME BACK TO A SOUTH EASTERLY HEADING TO INTERCEPT A FINAL. TWR CANCELED LNDG CLRNC AND ISSUED 'MAINTAIN ALT AND HEADING AND CONTACT APCH.' SWITCHED RADIOS BACK TO APCH WHO SAID HE HAD A DEP IN OUR VICINITY AND NEEDED TO KEEP US CLR. APCH THEN VECTORED US AROUND TO ANOTHER FINAL AND WE LANDED. AT THE FBO WAS A NOTE ASKING TO CONTACT TWR. THE APCH CTLR ASKED US TO GIVE HIM A HEADS-UP NEXT TIME SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENED. I EXPLAINED THE DEV AROUND WX AND WE PARTED AS PROFESSIONAL FRIENDS.

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.