Narrative:

I was on a flight going to the riverside airport in tulsa; ok. There was a line of thunderstorms along and behind a warm front running from just south of tulsa down in to western texas. I visually avoided all thunderstorms; but was consequently held up longer than I would have liked. As a result; I was forced to make steep descent rates during my letdown onto the ILS runway 1L approach at riverside all the while being vectored around areas of moderate rain showers south of the field. As I rolled out on the localizer approach course I managed to get the airplane stabilized and everything was going fine; however; I was now experiencing a bit of vertigo. I was fighting it pretty hard and I managed to fly the GS fairly well; however; I was having a tough time with the localizer. I had my hands full. Just before decision ht my localizer went full scale deflection and I had to go missed approach. I was still in IMC anyway. The problem was I failed to execute the missed correctly. I inadvertently did not climb due to my vertigo. Although I was scanning my instruments I noticed I had not climbed. I was assigned 270 degrees on the heading and 4000 ft on the missed. I did eventually get my climb going and fought through the vertigo. I had just put myself and my passenger in danger. However; when I went to departure I was faced with another challenge I had not expected. The controller asked me of my intentions and I informed him that I wished to go to my alternate; but that I wanted to change my alternate to ponca city. My filed alternate was lawton; ok; back in the direction of the thunderstorms. Ponca city was great for me because my passenger had a job to do there in the morning anyway; and the WX there was VFR and on a 300 degree bearing which I was already on with a 270 degree heading. However; the controller refused to amend my flight plan and clear me to ponca city. He was arguing that I had to get a new clearance for that from FSS and insisted that I change frequencys to get this clearance. I humored him and went to mcalister radio to see what they could do and they told me they could not do that so I went back to the approach controller. In a moment of high workload and high stress and frustration with that controller I told them that mcalister radio had my alternate changed. I felt that this was the only way to keep me; my passenger; and my airplane out of harm's way. Fighting my way south through thunderstorms is not my idea of the best alternatives. Once I told him I had it changed with mcalister; he immediately with no trouble at all cleared me to ponca city. We arrived in ponca city under clear skies and unlimited visibility and landed without incident. The biggest thing was I cannot understand why the controller was so determined to make me fly south through thunderstorms and out of my way for nothing. I know the controller could have changed our destination for they do it all the time. I was already flying away from all major airports and would have not have interfered with any approaching traffic. I would have filed ponca city as my alternate; but everything ahead of the front was supposed to be low IFR when I filed my flight plan. It just so happened to be VFR in ponca city when we got to tulsa. Obviously; the WX did not turn out as forecasted; because tulsa was supposed to be 600 ft overcast with 1.5 mi visibility. In fact; the ASOS was reporting 600 ft and 1.5 mi visibility when I tuned it in before talking to tul approach on my way in. I feel some controllers forget that they are there for us and not the other way around. Granted; I need and am already getting some practice flying approachs and missed approachs in actual; and fortunately my proficiency will come through training; time in the airplane; and experience. However; this controller seemed to be well seasoned; disgruntled; and forgetful of his mission to make air travel safer for everyone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR C421 ON APCH TO RIVERSIDE ARPT IN TULSA; OK; EXPERIENCED WX PROBS; EXECUTED MISSED APCH WITH ATC REFUSING VECTORS TO OTHER THAN FILED ALTERNATE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT GOING TO THE RIVERSIDE ARPT IN TULSA; OK. THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS ALONG AND BEHIND A WARM FRONT RUNNING FROM JUST S OF TULSA DOWN IN TO WESTERN TEXAS. I VISUALLY AVOIDED ALL TSTMS; BUT WAS CONSEQUENTLY HELD UP LONGER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED. AS A RESULT; I WAS FORCED TO MAKE STEEP DSCNT RATES DURING MY LETDOWN ONTO THE ILS RWY 1L APCH AT RIVERSIDE ALL THE WHILE BEING VECTORED AROUND AREAS OF MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS S OF THE FIELD. AS I ROLLED OUT ON THE LOC APCH COURSE I MANAGED TO GET THE AIRPLANE STABILIZED AND EVERYTHING WAS GOING FINE; HOWEVER; I WAS NOW EXPERIENCING A BIT OF VERTIGO. I WAS FIGHTING IT PRETTY HARD AND I MANAGED TO FLY THE GS FAIRLY WELL; HOWEVER; I WAS HAVING A TOUGH TIME WITH THE LOC. I HAD MY HANDS FULL. JUST BEFORE DECISION HT MY LOC WENT FULL SCALE DEFLECTION AND I HAD TO GO MISSED APCH. I WAS STILL IN IMC ANYWAY. THE PROB WAS I FAILED TO EXECUTE THE MISSED CORRECTLY. I INADVERTENTLY DID NOT CLB DUE TO MY VERTIGO. ALTHOUGH I WAS SCANNING MY INSTS I NOTICED I HAD NOT CLBED. I WAS ASSIGNED 270 DEGS ON THE HDG AND 4000 FT ON THE MISSED. I DID EVENTUALLY GET MY CLB GOING AND FOUGHT THROUGH THE VERTIGO. I HAD JUST PUT MYSELF AND MY PAX IN DANGER. HOWEVER; WHEN I WENT TO DEP I WAS FACED WITH ANOTHER CHALLENGE I HAD NOT EXPECTED. THE CTLR ASKED ME OF MY INTENTIONS AND I INFORMED HIM THAT I WISHED TO GO TO MY ALTERNATE; BUT THAT I WANTED TO CHANGE MY ALTERNATE TO PONCA CITY. MY FILED ALTERNATE WAS LAWTON; OK; BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TSTMS. PONCA CITY WAS GREAT FOR ME BECAUSE MY PAX HAD A JOB TO DO THERE IN THE MORNING ANYWAY; AND THE WX THERE WAS VFR AND ON A 300 DEG BEARING WHICH I WAS ALREADY ON WITH A 270 DEG HDG. HOWEVER; THE CTLR REFUSED TO AMEND MY FLT PLAN AND CLR ME TO PONCA CITY. HE WAS ARGUING THAT I HAD TO GET A NEW CLRNC FOR THAT FROM FSS AND INSISTED THAT I CHANGE FREQS TO GET THIS CLRNC. I HUMORED HIM AND WENT TO MCALISTER RADIO TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DO THAT SO I WENT BACK TO THE APCH CTLR. IN A MOMENT OF HIGH WORKLOAD AND HIGH STRESS AND FRUSTRATION WITH THAT CTLR I TOLD THEM THAT MCALISTER RADIO HAD MY ALTERNATE CHANGED. I FELT THAT THIS WAS THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP ME; MY PAX; AND MY AIRPLANE OUT OF HARM'S WAY. FIGHTING MY WAY S THROUGH TSTMS IS NOT MY IDEA OF THE BEST ALTERNATIVES. ONCE I TOLD HIM I HAD IT CHANGED WITH MCALISTER; HE IMMEDIATELY WITH NO TROUBLE AT ALL CLRED ME TO PONCA CITY. WE ARRIVED IN PONCA CITY UNDER CLR SKIES AND UNLIMITED VISIBILITY AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE BIGGEST THING WAS I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CTLR WAS SO DETERMINED TO MAKE ME FLY S THROUGH TSTMS AND OUT OF MY WAY FOR NOTHING. I KNOW THE CTLR COULD HAVE CHANGED OUR DEST FOR THEY DO IT ALL THE TIME. I WAS ALREADY FLYING AWAY FROM ALL MAJOR ARPTS AND WOULD HAVE NOT HAVE INTERFERED WITH ANY APCHING TFC. I WOULD HAVE FILED PONCA CITY AS MY ALTERNATE; BUT EVERYTHING AHEAD OF THE FRONT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOW IFR WHEN I FILED MY FLT PLAN. IT JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE VFR IN PONCA CITY WHEN WE GOT TO TULSA. OBVIOUSLY; THE WX DID NOT TURN OUT AS FORECASTED; BECAUSE TULSA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 600 FT OVCST WITH 1.5 MI VISIBILITY. IN FACT; THE ASOS WAS RPTING 600 FT AND 1.5 MI VISIBILITY WHEN I TUNED IT IN BEFORE TALKING TO TUL APCH ON MY WAY IN. I FEEL SOME CTLRS FORGET THAT THEY ARE THERE FOR US AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. GRANTED; I NEED AND AM ALREADY GETTING SOME PRACTICE FLYING APCHS AND MISSED APCHS IN ACTUAL; AND FORTUNATELY MY PROFICIENCY WILL COME THROUGH TRAINING; TIME IN THE AIRPLANE; AND EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER; THIS CTLR SEEMED TO BE WELL SEASONED; DISGRUNTLED; AND FORGETFUL OF HIS MISSION TO MAKE AIR TRAVEL SAFER FOR EVERYONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.