Narrative:

While being vectored for an ILS approach at det for runway 15, I saw the airport at 9 O'clock. Knowing that the reported ceiling and visibility were too low for a visual approach, I requested (and was granted) a contact approach. By the time that was done I was about 4 mi north of the field. I turned back to the airport and descended to 2000'. I had about 2 mi of flight visibility. When I spotted the runway I was too high to land straight in, so I came overhead the airport and advised the tower of my location, and that I would turn downwind for 15. The local controller became excited and directed me to recontact approach. I asked if he was directing me to miss the approach and he replied that he was. I recontacted approach and was vectored for an ILS which was uneventful. In talking to the local controller by phone, I discovered that he had a letter of agreement with approach which effectively prohibited circle-to-land under those circumstances. There was, so far as I could tell, no traffic conflict. The pilot/controller glossary does not prohibit (or even mention) circling on a contact approach. The miss was unexpected and the sequence of events confusing. If a straight-in is required, the controller must tell the pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ON CONTACT APCH WAS TOO HIGH AND STARTED A CIRCLING APCH. ATC ADVISED MAKE MISSED APCH.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH AT DET FOR RWY 15, I SAW THE ARPT AT 9 O'CLOCK. KNOWING THAT THE RPTED CEILING AND VIS WERE TOO LOW FOR A VISUAL APCH, I REQUESTED (AND WAS GRANTED) A CONTACT APCH. BY THE TIME THAT WAS DONE I WAS ABOUT 4 MI N OF THE FIELD. I TURNED BACK TO THE ARPT AND DESCENDED TO 2000'. I HAD ABOUT 2 MI OF FLT VIS. WHEN I SPOTTED THE RWY I WAS TOO HIGH TO LAND STRAIGHT IN, SO I CAME OVERHEAD THE ARPT AND ADVISED THE TWR OF MY LOCATION, AND THAT I WOULD TURN DOWNWIND FOR 15. THE LCL CTLR BECAME EXCITED AND DIRECTED ME TO RECONTACT APCH. I ASKED IF HE WAS DIRECTING ME TO MISS THE APCH AND HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS. I RECONTACTED APCH AND WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS WHICH WAS UNEVENTFUL. IN TALKING TO THE LCL CTLR BY PHONE, I DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD A LETTER OF AGREEMENT WITH APCH WHICH EFFECTIVELY PROHIBITED CIRCLE-TO-LAND UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE WAS, SO FAR AS I COULD TELL, NO TFC CONFLICT. THE PLT/CTLR GLOSSARY DOES NOT PROHIBIT (OR EVEN MENTION) CIRCLING ON A CONTACT APCH. THE MISS WAS UNEXPECTED AND THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS CONFUSING. IF A STRAIGHT-IN IS REQUIRED, THE CTLR MUST TELL THE PLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.