Narrative:

I'm a newly instrument rated pilot and on 5/tue/89 I was on an IFR flight plan from stillwater, ok to centennial airport in aurora, co. Route of flight as filed: swo-any V74 ddc V10 laa V263 hgo V366 ioc-apa. Route as cleared by ATC: swo-per V74 then as filed. For this flight I computer 3:45 etr burning 10 gal/hour fuel required 39 gal total fuel available 49 gal. I kept track of my fuel burning rate through the flight, up to 10 mins out of the kiowa (ioc) VOR when ATC moved me from 8000 to 9000 MSL. At that time I was about 35 NM from the centennial airport and according to my calculations I had 1:30 min left of fuel. Enough fuel to shoot the approach and go to my alternate which was denver stapleton with a 45 min reserve. Right at kiowa (ioc) VOR den center handed me to approach, and I was instructed to fly a heading of 260 degree. At that time I began my pre-landing checklist. I set my #1 to apa ILS 111.3 casse NDB 260 (outer marker) and den VOR 117.0 for my miss approach 145 radial. I was cleared back down to 8000 (I'm flying 260). I cannot remember the controller giving me other heading, I kept looking at my ADF which is telling me I'm about 70' intercept angle from casse to intercept the localizer. I thought to myself something is wrong, the controller came back and gave me the following instructions: 'small aircraft is 3 mi from casse cleared for the ILS runway 35R contact centennial tower on 118.9 when established on the localizer.' I acknowledged but things weren't right, I punched out of a cloud and I saw interstate 25. I knew I had flown through the localizer, I never had my outer marker tone or the localizer on my instrument. Centennial tower told me to contact approach and he told me I had flown through the localizer. He gave me a heading of 180 followed by 060 but the instructions from approach were not clear. He instructed me to recheck my navigation equipment because again I had flown through the localizer. At that particular time (I am still in the clouds IMC) and is raining, I told him that I was running low in fuel. He gave me vectors again this time everything was perfect and I executed the ILS approach with no problems. After refueling the aircraft I had 35 min left of fuel. Since I executed 3 apches basically about 30 min in circles. I realized now that my fuel was not critical had I not executed those additional apches or going in circles. Denver airport my alternate in only 12 min away. I don't think I violated any rules because my fuel going in circles. But if I did it was inadvertent, a valuable lesson was learned, I will never let myself in that situation again for the rest of my flying life.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON ILS APCH IN IMC, FLEW THROUGH THE LOCALIZER TWICE. VECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH AND LANDED. CONCERNED ABOUT RESERVE FUEL.

Narrative: I'M A NEWLY INSTRUMENT RATED PLT AND ON 5/TUE/89 I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM STILLWATER, OK TO CENTENNIAL ARPT IN AURORA, CO. ROUTE OF FLT AS FILED: SWO-ANY V74 DDC V10 LAA V263 HGO V366 IOC-APA. ROUTE AS CLRED BY ATC: SWO-PER V74 THEN AS FILED. FOR THIS FLT I COMPUTER 3:45 ETR BURNING 10 GAL/HR FUEL REQUIRED 39 GAL TOTAL FUEL AVAILABLE 49 GAL. I KEPT TRACK OF MY FUEL BURNING RATE THROUGH THE FLT, UP TO 10 MINS OUT OF THE KIOWA (IOC) VOR WHEN ATC MOVED ME FROM 8000 TO 9000 MSL. AT THAT TIME I WAS ABOUT 35 NM FROM THE CENTENNIAL ARPT AND ACCORDING TO MY CALCULATIONS I HAD 1:30 MIN LEFT OF FUEL. ENOUGH FUEL TO SHOOT THE APCH AND GO TO MY ALTERNATE WHICH WAS DENVER STAPLETON WITH A 45 MIN RESERVE. RIGHT AT KIOWA (IOC) VOR DEN CENTER HANDED ME TO APCH, AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY A HDG OF 260 DEG. AT THAT TIME I BEGAN MY PRE-LNDG CHECKLIST. I SET MY #1 TO APA ILS 111.3 CASSE NDB 260 (OUTER MARKER) AND DEN VOR 117.0 FOR MY MISS APCH 145 RADIAL. I WAS CLRED BACK DOWN TO 8000 (I'M FLYING 260). I CANNOT REMEMBER THE CTLR GIVING ME OTHER HDG, I KEPT LOOKING AT MY ADF WHICH IS TELLING ME I'M ABOUT 70' INTERCEPT ANGLE FROM CASSE TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF SOMETHING IS WRONG, THE CTLR CAME BACK AND GAVE ME THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS: 'SMA IS 3 MI FROM CASSE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 35R CONTACT CENTENNIAL TWR ON 118.9 WHEN ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC.' I ACKNOWLEDGED BUT THINGS WEREN'T RIGHT, I PUNCHED OUT OF A CLOUD AND I SAW INTERSTATE 25. I KNEW I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE LOC, I NEVER HAD MY OUTER MARKER TONE OR THE LOC ON MY INSTRUMENT. CENTENNIAL TWR TOLD ME TO CONTACT APCH AND HE TOLD ME I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE LOC. HE GAVE ME A HDG OF 180 FOLLOWED BY 060 BUT THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH WERE NOT CLEAR. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO RECHECK MY NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT BECAUSE AGAIN I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE LOC. AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME (I AM STILL IN THE CLOUDS IMC) AND IS RAINING, I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS RUNNING LOW IN FUEL. HE GAVE ME VECTORS AGAIN THIS TIME EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT AND I EXECUTED THE ILS APCH WITH NO PROBLEMS. AFTER REFUELING THE ACFT I HAD 35 MIN LEFT OF FUEL. SINCE I EXECUTED 3 APCHES BASICALLY ABOUT 30 MIN IN CIRCLES. I REALIZED NOW THAT MY FUEL WAS NOT CRITICAL HAD I NOT EXECUTED THOSE ADDITIONAL APCHES OR GOING IN CIRCLES. DENVER ARPT MY ALTERNATE IN ONLY 12 MIN AWAY. I DON'T THINK I VIOLATED ANY RULES BECAUSE MY FUEL GOING IN CIRCLES. BUT IF I DID IT WAS INADVERTENT, A VALUABLE LESSON WAS LEARNED, I WILL NEVER LET MYSELF IN THAT SITUATION AGAIN FOR THE REST OF MY FLYING LIFE.

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.