Narrative:

I got called late night at XA50 for a charter to ord to pick up some parts and run them over to dtw for an airline. I flew out of lot, picked up the parts, flew to dtw, waited 45 mins for the mechanic to arrive, and then departed for the part 91 return to lot. Arriving about XG00, the approach controller said to expect the localizer/DME 9 into lot. I asked for the GPS runway 27 because it was a straight-in and I was cleared for that. The ceilings had deteriorated on my return and were reported at 300 ft overcast. The MDA only allowed for 350 ft AGL and, as I passed over the missed approach, I saw only the airport hangar lights directly below as I proceeded on the missed over the airport. Before going to an alternate, I asked approach for the opposite direction approach, the localizer/DME 9, which the approach controller originally said I could expect -- winds were calm. He vectored me for the approach. I set it up on my HSI and also loaded it into my GPS for additional intersection and DME information and to help in situational awareness. As the localizer needle came in, I turned inbound and captured the final approach course with my autoplt. I checked my course alignment with the GPS and began my descent according to the procedure. The controller asked if I was established. I said yes, then he switched me to advisory frequency. I missed this approach as well, diverted to an airport with an ILS, and landed. Another pilot at my alternate mentioned he thought the localizer/DME was OTS and I said it had been. However, the controller originally said to expect it, then cleared me for it on the second attempt. I didn't think about it at the time. However, I realized in the changing nature of the landing operations, I also didn't verify the localizer/DME morse code identify when I dialed it up. I returned later, using the GPS 9 and found the localizer was notamed OTS. While shooting the approach the first time, at all times the navigation information corresponded to my GPS guidance. I was reminded just this last saturday about this program and am sending in this report to share what I think is a good issue. I have been flying charters in light twins for 6 months now and, generally being a conscientious person, in an effort to improve my flying skills I think back on each flight to determine what I could have done any better. In this case, I omitted a basic step to identify the approach I was using, which would have clued me in that maybe the localizer/DME 9 was OTS. As a new charter pilot, this is the first time I've shot 2 approachs to minimums. My workload was high, I was considering my options, and I had been flying all night. Combined with the controller's reference to expect the localizer/DME 9, I believe I 'counted on' everything to be working right. Fortunately, I xrefed my approach with the GPS and all turned out ok. Upon more reflection, I might also add that I liken this issue for me to the classic 100-hour pilot syndrome. After a short period, you've flown just enough to think you're really getting the hang of it. You face tremendous psychological pressure to rush through checklists, not check the fuel sumps, just the flight plans, and start thinking that with ATC's help, you can get through anything. This would be wrong for obvious reasons.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE58 PLT HAD 2 APCHS THAT RESULTED IN GAR'S. THE PLT FLEW THE LOC DME RWY 9 APCH AT LOT ARPT WHEN IT WAS OTS.

Narrative: I GOT CALLED LATE NIGHT AT XA50 FOR A CHARTER TO ORD TO PICK UP SOME PARTS AND RUN THEM OVER TO DTW FOR AN AIRLINE. I FLEW OUT OF LOT, PICKED UP THE PARTS, FLEW TO DTW, WAITED 45 MINS FOR THE MECH TO ARRIVE, AND THEN DEPARTED FOR THE PART 91 RETURN TO LOT. ARRIVING ABOUT XG00, THE APCH CTLR SAID TO EXPECT THE LOC/DME 9 INTO LOT. I ASKED FOR THE GPS RWY 27 BECAUSE IT WAS A STRAIGHT-IN AND I WAS CLRED FOR THAT. THE CEILINGS HAD DETERIORATED ON MY RETURN AND WERE RPTED AT 300 FT OVCST. THE MDA ONLY ALLOWED FOR 350 FT AGL AND, AS I PASSED OVER THE MISSED APCH, I SAW ONLY THE ARPT HANGAR LIGHTS DIRECTLY BELOW AS I PROCEEDED ON THE MISSED OVER THE ARPT. BEFORE GOING TO AN ALTERNATE, I ASKED APCH FOR THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION APCH, THE LOC/DME 9, WHICH THE APCH CTLR ORIGINALLY SAID I COULD EXPECT -- WINDS WERE CALM. HE VECTORED ME FOR THE APCH. I SET IT UP ON MY HSI AND ALSO LOADED IT INTO MY GPS FOR ADDITIONAL INTXN AND DME INFO AND TO HELP IN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. AS THE LOC NEEDLE CAME IN, I TURNED INBOUND AND CAPTURED THE FINAL APCH COURSE WITH MY AUTOPLT. I CHKED MY COURSE ALIGNMENT WITH THE GPS AND BEGAN MY DSCNT ACCORDING TO THE PROC. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WAS ESTABLISHED. I SAID YES, THEN HE SWITCHED ME TO ADVISORY FREQ. I MISSED THIS APCH AS WELL, DIVERTED TO AN ARPT WITH AN ILS, AND LANDED. ANOTHER PLT AT MY ALTERNATE MENTIONED HE THOUGHT THE LOC/DME WAS OTS AND I SAID IT HAD BEEN. HOWEVER, THE CTLR ORIGINALLY SAID TO EXPECT IT, THEN CLRED ME FOR IT ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT. I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT AT THE TIME. HOWEVER, I REALIZED IN THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE LNDG OPS, I ALSO DIDN'T VERIFY THE LOC/DME MORSE CODE IDENT WHEN I DIALED IT UP. I RETURNED LATER, USING THE GPS 9 AND FOUND THE LOC WAS NOTAMED OTS. WHILE SHOOTING THE APCH THE FIRST TIME, AT ALL TIMES THE NAV INFO CORRESPONDED TO MY GPS GUIDANCE. I WAS REMINDED JUST THIS LAST SATURDAY ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND AM SENDING IN THIS RPT TO SHARE WHAT I THINK IS A GOOD ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN FLYING CHARTERS IN LIGHT TWINS FOR 6 MONTHS NOW AND, GENERALLY BEING A CONSCIENTIOUS PERSON, IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE MY FLYING SKILLS I THINK BACK ON EACH FLT TO DETERMINE WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE ANY BETTER. IN THIS CASE, I OMITTED A BASIC STEP TO IDENT THE APCH I WAS USING, WHICH WOULD HAVE CLUED ME IN THAT MAYBE THE LOC/DME 9 WAS OTS. AS A NEW CHARTER PLT, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SHOT 2 APCHS TO MINIMUMS. MY WORKLOAD WAS HIGH, I WAS CONSIDERING MY OPTIONS, AND I HAD BEEN FLYING ALL NIGHT. COMBINED WITH THE CTLR'S REF TO EXPECT THE LOC/DME 9, I BELIEVE I 'COUNTED ON' EVERYTHING TO BE WORKING RIGHT. FORTUNATELY, I XREFED MY APCH WITH THE GPS AND ALL TURNED OUT OK. UPON MORE REFLECTION, I MIGHT ALSO ADD THAT I LIKEN THIS ISSUE FOR ME TO THE CLASSIC 100-HR PLT SYNDROME. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD, YOU'VE FLOWN JUST ENOUGH TO THINK YOU'RE REALLY GETTING THE HANG OF IT. YOU FACE TREMENDOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE TO RUSH THROUGH CHKLISTS, NOT CHK THE FUEL SUMPS, JUST THE FLT PLANS, AND START THINKING THAT WITH ATC'S HELP, YOU CAN GET THROUGH ANYTHING. THIS WOULD BE WRONG FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.

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.