Narrative:

Approach to below visibility minimums then not allowed to maneuver for landing on safe runway. WX at time thin obscured 1/8 fog 72/70 after 15 minutes -X 1/2. The perimeter of rock county airport is surrounded by the rock river on the west and south sides. The ILS is over the river to runway 4. At the time of the event the ground fog layer (clear above) was very thick over the river and in the ILS approach course. This is complicated by heading into the sunrise. The fog on the north and east sides of the airport was very thin. At decision height there was no visual reference to the runway. On go around I would pop out of the bank over the river and was able to see clearly without a doubt the whole airport. When asked if I could circle to land they told me no not with the visibility that low and asked intentions. On the 4TH ILS the fog had burned off enough to land. Before the 1ST attempt the tower controller at rock county told me that D departing aircraft (runway 4 departing) had the departure end of the 6701' runway in sight the whole time. The problem could be remedied by installation of a back course approach (not by the river or into the sun) or allow a pilot with good visual references to land on runway of choice. Contributing factors were clear above skies, controllers explanation of departing traffic's visibility, airport contact over airport. My worst judgement was passing up the ability to hold until the situation got better. Factors affecting decision were my own sighting of ground over area with very thin fog layer and the departing aircraft's statement of better than a mile visibility. Both apches to rock county ILS and VOR are to runway 4 and subsequently go over the river. There is a need for either an ILS back course or a VOR 22 approach. In the future I will keep the river and its fog tendencies in mind and act accordingly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT FREIGHTER MISSED 3 ILS APCHES AT JVL, LANDED SUCCESSFULLY ON FOURTH ATTEMPT IN FOG, THIN OBSCURATION.

Narrative: APCH TO BELOW VISIBILITY MINIMUMS THEN NOT ALLOWED TO MANEUVER FOR LNDG ON SAFE RWY. WX AT TIME THIN OBSCURED 1/8 FOG 72/70 AFTER 15 MINUTES -X 1/2. THE PERIMETER OF ROCK COUNTY ARPT IS SURROUNDED BY THE ROCK RIVER ON THE W AND S SIDES. THE ILS IS OVER THE RIVER TO RWY 4. AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT THE GND FOG LAYER (CLEAR ABOVE) WAS VERY THICK OVER THE RIVER AND IN THE ILS APCH COURSE. THIS IS COMPLICATED BY HDG INTO THE SUNRISE. THE FOG ON THE N AND E SIDES OF THE ARPT WAS VERY THIN. AT DECISION HEIGHT THERE WAS NO VISUAL REFERENCE TO THE RWY. ON GO AROUND I WOULD POP OUT OF THE BANK OVER THE RIVER AND WAS ABLE TO SEE CLEARLY WITHOUT A DOUBT THE WHOLE ARPT. WHEN ASKED IF I COULD CIRCLE TO LAND THEY TOLD ME NO NOT WITH THE VISIBILITY THAT LOW AND ASKED INTENTIONS. ON THE 4TH ILS THE FOG HAD BURNED OFF ENOUGH TO LAND. BEFORE THE 1ST ATTEMPT THE TWR CTLR AT ROCK COUNTY TOLD ME THAT D DEPARTING ACFT (RWY 4 DEPARTING) HAD THE DEP END OF THE 6701' RWY IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. THE PROBLEM COULD BE REMEDIED BY INSTALLATION OF A BACK COURSE APCH (NOT BY THE RIVER OR INTO THE SUN) OR ALLOW A PLT WITH GOOD VISUAL REFERENCES TO LAND ON RWY OF CHOICE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE CLEAR ABOVE SKIES, CTLRS EXPLANATION OF DEPARTING TFC'S VISIBILITY, ARPT CONTACT OVER ARPT. MY WORST JUDGEMENT WAS PASSING UP THE ABILITY TO HOLD UNTIL THE SITUATION GOT BETTER. FACTORS AFFECTING DECISION WERE MY OWN SIGHTING OF GND OVER AREA WITH VERY THIN FOG LAYER AND THE DEPARTING ACFT'S STATEMENT OF BETTER THAN A MILE VISIBILITY. BOTH APCHES TO ROCK COUNTY ILS AND VOR ARE TO RWY 4 AND SUBSEQUENTLY GO OVER THE RIVER. THERE IS A NEED FOR EITHER AN ILS BACK COURSE OR A VOR 22 APCH. IN THE FUTURE I WILL KEEP THE RIVER AND ITS FOG TENDENCIES IN MIND AND ACT ACCORDINGLY.

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.