Narrative:

I departed dca IFR on 11/tue/89 at XX40Z (XY40 ld). Less than 5 mins into flight, right engine began running roughly and overheating (approaching red line). We had replaced a cylinder less than 10 hours earlier. My first thought was that the cylinder, or something connected with its installation, was acting up again. We were climbing through 2000 to 4000' when I told departure of our problem and asked for vectors to a VFR airport. The controller advised of 'no VFR in the area,' and asked whether we wanted dca or dulles. We were also asked whether we wanted to 'declare an emergency.' I declined to do so. We elected to come back to dca. We were vectored for a turn-in, right at the marker for the ILS 36. We started the approach and ended up left of course and low. 500' (below G/south) approach called for us to climb and come back around for another approach. We did so successfully. We were asked by approach if we had had any problem with the ILS itself. We responded 'no,' but that we had had our 'hands full' with a 'sick' engine (the power on which I had pulled way back, but which I had not shut down). As I thought about it, I also concluded that being turned in for the final approach course right at the marker had really 'jammed us up.' I should have refused to have been turned in right at the marker, and should have asked for a longer set up for the approach. The second time, even as we were asking for a longer approach, a different controller was already setting us up for one (5 mi outside the marker). The controllers did a superb job, particularly in calling out our low, off-course first approach. They were very calm and collected, which helped me to stay the same. I attribute our problem to: fatigue--I had been getting little sleep and working long hours; stress from the fatigue, the nature of work and other personal pressures; the failed engine problem; accepting too short of a turn-in (at the marker) on the first approach (I knew that the controller wanted to get us back to the airport as soon as possible--I, too, thought this advisable at the time. In retrospect, I don't think that it was a good procedure); and not properly quickly responding to the ILS and G/south indications in the cockpit (fatigue, stress and lack of proficiency). I cannot overstate my respect for, and appreciation of, the competency of the approach (and especially tower) controllers. They had their hands full already with a lot of backed-up IFR traffic into (holding) and out of dca. We are truly thankful!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE ENGINE GO AROUND DUE TO INABILITY TO TRACK LOCALIZER AND GLIDE SLOPE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED DCA IFR ON 11/TUE/89 AT XX40Z (XY40 LD). LESS THAN 5 MINS INTO FLT, RIGHT ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGHLY AND OVERHEATING (APCHING RED LINE). WE HAD REPLACED A CYLINDER LESS THAN 10 HRS EARLIER. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT THE CYLINDER, OR SOMETHING CONNECTED WITH ITS INSTALLATION, WAS ACTING UP AGAIN. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 2000 TO 4000' WHEN I TOLD DEP OF OUR PROB AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO A VFR ARPT. THE CTLR ADVISED OF 'NO VFR IN THE AREA,' AND ASKED WHETHER WE WANTED DCA OR DULLES. WE WERE ALSO ASKED WHETHER WE WANTED TO 'DECLARE AN EMER.' I DECLINED TO DO SO. WE ELECTED TO COME BACK TO DCA. WE WERE VECTORED FOR A TURN-IN, RIGHT AT THE MARKER FOR THE ILS 36. WE STARTED THE APCH AND ENDED UP LEFT OF COURSE AND LOW. 500' (BELOW G/S) APCH CALLED FOR US TO CLB AND COME BACK AROUND FOR ANOTHER APCH. WE DID SO SUCCESSFULLY. WE WERE ASKED BY APCH IF WE HAD HAD ANY PROB WITH THE ILS ITSELF. WE RESPONDED 'NO,' BUT THAT WE HAD HAD OUR 'HANDS FULL' WITH A 'SICK' ENG (THE PWR ON WHICH I HAD PULLED WAY BACK, BUT WHICH I HAD NOT SHUT DOWN). AS I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I ALSO CONCLUDED THAT BEING TURNED IN FOR THE FINAL APCH COURSE RIGHT AT THE MARKER HAD REALLY 'JAMMED US UP.' I SHOULD HAVE REFUSED TO HAVE BEEN TURNED IN RIGHT AT THE MARKER, AND SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A LONGER SET UP FOR THE APCH. THE SECOND TIME, EVEN AS WE WERE ASKING FOR A LONGER APCH, A DIFFERENT CTLR WAS ALREADY SETTING US UP FOR ONE (5 MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER). THE CTLRS DID A SUPERB JOB, PARTICULARLY IN CALLING OUT OUR LOW, OFF-COURSE FIRST APCH. THEY WERE VERY CALM AND COLLECTED, WHICH HELPED ME TO STAY THE SAME. I ATTRIBUTE OUR PROB TO: FATIGUE--I HAD BEEN GETTING LITTLE SLEEP AND WORKING LONG HRS; STRESS FROM THE FATIGUE, THE NATURE OF WORK AND OTHER PERSONAL PRESSURES; THE FAILED ENG PROB; ACCEPTING TOO SHORT OF A TURN-IN (AT THE MARKER) ON THE FIRST APCH (I KNEW THAT THE CTLR WANTED TO GET US BACK TO THE ARPT ASAP--I, TOO, THOUGHT THIS ADVISABLE AT THE TIME. IN RETROSPECT, I DON'T THINK THAT IT WAS A GOOD PROC); AND NOT PROPERLY QUICKLY RESPONDING TO THE ILS AND G/S INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT (FATIGUE, STRESS AND LACK OF PROFICIENCY). I CANNOT OVERSTATE MY RESPECT FOR, AND APPRECIATION OF, THE COMPETENCY OF THE APCH (AND ESPECIALLY TWR) CTLRS. THEY HAD THEIR HANDS FULL ALREADY WITH A LOT OF BACKED-UP IFR TFC INTO (HOLDING) AND OUT OF DCA. WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL!

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.