Narrative:

After watching the tv WX on the evening before, getting briefed from lax FSS and filing my flight plan from cma to microphone, I was concerned about the WX at msp. I therefore called FSS (msp) to get their version of the forthcoming WX. We felt that by my ETA at microphone the WX would be such that an alternate airport was not necessary. I radioed princeton flight watch onl and requested an updating on the WX at microphone. They informed me that ceilings were 900' with 3 mi, wind at 020, 18 gusts to 25, ice 2500/6000, and tops at 10300', just right I thought to myself. I dialed in fds ATIS over fds and it was reporting ceilings at 300' and 1 mi. I radioed princeton again and microphone was still ok. At rwf I tuned in microphone ATIS which reported ceilings at 300' with 1 mi, so I asked mps center on 124.7 what else was available. Stp was ok. I then advised center that I believed that I had approximately 1 1/2 hours of fuel on board the airplane and I reduced the power settings to conserve the remaining fuel. Approach and I then discussed the possibility of brd, axn, Y69. I finally asked for msp 29L and the controller agreed that this was the best option. I think at that time msp had ceilings of 150' and 1400 RVR, but with approximately 1 hour of fuel on board, I felt that msp remained my most prudent choice. The controller vectored me around at 4000' and we did the approach (which I'll never do again). We saw the lights at about 1060' indicated altitude, 220' AGL, and I called it into approach. We were never given off to the tower (which was delightful). We were on runway 29L, which is 10000' and stopped at the 7000' marker, then approach gave us off to the tower. We were directed to follow one of the snow removing equipment vehicles, a 4-WHEEL drive van, to hangar. The wind was 360 degrees at 15 KTS gusting to 25 KTS and the runway had solid ice, but I was so relieved that this was not a problem. I must say that in my opinion, approach certainly did a perfect job and made a very difficult situation much less stressful. In summary, I should have been more on guard at fds because at that point I could have gone back to onl or up to far or gfk. However, princeton was reporting microphone well above minimums. A good ending to a most difficult situation.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LANDED AT MSP BELOW PUBLISHED MINIMUMS.

Narrative: AFTER WATCHING THE TV WX ON THE EVENING BEFORE, GETTING BRIEFED FROM LAX FSS AND FILING MY FLT PLAN FROM CMA TO MIC, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WX AT MSP. I THEREFORE CALLED FSS (MSP) TO GET THEIR VERSION OF THE FORTHCOMING WX. WE FELT THAT BY MY ETA AT MIC THE WX WOULD BE SUCH THAT AN ALTERNATE ARPT WAS NOT NECESSARY. I RADIOED PRINCETON FLT WATCH ONL AND REQUESTED AN UPDATING ON THE WX AT MIC. THEY INFORMED ME THAT CEILINGS WERE 900' WITH 3 MI, WIND AT 020, 18 GUSTS TO 25, ICE 2500/6000, AND TOPS AT 10300', JUST RIGHT I THOUGHT TO MYSELF. I DIALED IN FDS ATIS OVER FDS AND IT WAS RPTING CEILINGS AT 300' AND 1 MI. I RADIOED PRINCETON AGAIN AND MIC WAS STILL OK. AT RWF I TUNED IN MIC ATIS WHICH RPTED CEILINGS AT 300' WITH 1 MI, SO I ASKED MPS CENTER ON 124.7 WHAT ELSE WAS AVAILABLE. STP WAS OK. I THEN ADVISED CENTER THAT I BELIEVED THAT I HAD APPROX 1 1/2 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE AND I REDUCED THE PWR SETTINGS TO CONSERVE THE REMAINING FUEL. APCH AND I THEN DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF BRD, AXN, Y69. I FINALLY ASKED FOR MSP 29L AND THE CTLR AGREED THAT THIS WAS THE BEST OPTION. I THINK AT THAT TIME MSP HAD CEILINGS OF 150' AND 1400 RVR, BUT WITH APPROX 1 HR OF FUEL ON BOARD, I FELT THAT MSP REMAINED MY MOST PRUDENT CHOICE. THE CTLR VECTORED ME AROUND AT 4000' AND WE DID THE APCH (WHICH I'LL NEVER DO AGAIN). WE SAW THE LIGHTS AT ABOUT 1060' INDICATED ALT, 220' AGL, AND I CALLED IT INTO APCH. WE WERE NEVER GIVEN OFF TO THE TWR (WHICH WAS DELIGHTFUL). WE WERE ON RWY 29L, WHICH IS 10000' AND STOPPED AT THE 7000' MARKER, THEN APCH GAVE US OFF TO THE TWR. WE WERE DIRECTED TO FOLLOW ONE OF THE SNOW REMOVING EQUIP VEHICLES, A 4-WHEEL DRIVE VAN, TO HANGAR. THE WIND WAS 360 DEGS AT 15 KTS GUSTING TO 25 KTS AND THE RWY HAD SOLID ICE, BUT I WAS SO RELIEVED THAT THIS WAS NOT A PROB. I MUST SAY THAT IN MY OPINION, APCH CERTAINLY DID A PERFECT JOB AND MADE A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION MUCH LESS STRESSFUL. IN SUMMARY, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ON GUARD AT FDS BECAUSE AT THAT POINT I COULD HAVE GONE BACK TO ONL OR UP TO FAR OR GFK. HOWEVER, PRINCETON WAS RPTING MIC WELL ABOVE MINIMUMS. A GOOD ENDING TO A MOST DIFFICULT SITUATION.

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.