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An M20P pilot, on an IFR approach to troy, mi, unable to land, made a circling approach, landing in the opposite direction.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 544139 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200204 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 7d2.airport |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | agl single value : 600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : d21.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | M-20 K (231) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : contact approach : circling |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 575 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 544139 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While flying a straight-in approach to minimums at an uncontrolled airport, I saw the airport, decided to land, descended further, realized I was too late to make landing as planned, made a spontaneous decision to circle to land, kept the airport in sight, and successfully landed on the opposite direction runway. Only after review on the ground did I realize that my spontaneous decision to circle to land was a mistake. I've had my instrument license for 2 yrs and have flown regularly and prudently during that time to build experience. This was my first approach to hard minimums and in the heat of the moment, I made a spontaneous decision that was different from my original planned course of action. On reflection, I don't think that there is an easy way to prevent someone else from making the same mistake I made except to remind pilots that making spontaneous decisions at minimum altitudes is not wise -- it's better to follow through with one's original plan of attack and make new choices during a missed approach or another time of lower stress.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN M20P PLT, ON AN IFR APCH TO TROY, MI, UNABLE TO LAND, MADE A CIRCLING APCH, LNDG IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
Narrative: WHILE FLYING A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO MINIMUMS AT AN UNCTLED ARPT, I SAW THE ARPT, DECIDED TO LAND, DSNDED FURTHER, REALIZED I WAS TOO LATE TO MAKE LNDG AS PLANNED, MADE A SPONTANEOUS DECISION TO CIRCLE TO LAND, KEPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT, AND SUCCESSFULLY LANDED ON THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY. ONLY AFTER REVIEW ON THE GND DID I REALIZE THAT MY SPONTANEOUS DECISION TO CIRCLE TO LAND WAS A MISTAKE. I'VE HAD MY INST LICENSE FOR 2 YRS AND HAVE FLOWN REGULARLY AND PRUDENTLY DURING THAT TIME TO BUILD EXPERIENCE. THIS WAS MY FIRST APCH TO HARD MINIMUMS AND IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT, I MADE A SPONTANEOUS DECISION THAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM MY ORIGINAL PLANNED COURSE OF ACTION. ON REFLECTION, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS AN EASY WAY TO PREVENT SOMEONE ELSE FROM MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE I MADE EXCEPT TO REMIND PLTS THAT MAKING SPONTANEOUS DECISIONS AT MINIMUM ALTS IS NOT WISE -- IT'S BETTER TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH ONE'S ORIGINAL PLAN OF ATTACK AND MAKE NEW CHOICES DURING A MISSED APCH OR ANOTHER TIME OF LOWER STRESS.
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.