Narrative:

Based on the reported WX at hobbs, NM, I did not anticipate the need for an instrument approach, and as similar conditions had been forecast the evening before, I had only superficially glanced at the approach plate. I left abq at XA47Z with two passenger, encountering scattered clouds around 8000 as we flew southeast at 9500. Passing over roswell, approximately XB40Z, FSS gave me hobbs conditions, then 10-15 mi east of rowsell, seeing 2 major cloud layers in front of me, I reverified hobbs WX with roswell FSS. The lower layer appeared to be too close to ground to safely fly under so we climbed to 11,500 to clear all clouds, expecting the clouds to break up nearer to hobbs as per roswell radio. At approximately 35 DME out, needing to plan a letdown, I contacted ft worth center who cleared me to 8000, which put us just on top of the clouds. Then ft worth cleared us to hob VOR, told us to expect ILS runway 3, and cleared us to 7000 and shortly to 6000. At this time we were about 20 DME out, getting closer all the time, traveling close to 3 mi a min with a cross to quartering tailwind in the 10-20 mph range, above gear extension range, 3000' above glide slope intercept altitude, and the approach plates in the far aft of the cabin. In the process of directing one of the passenger to retrieve the approach plates, I got off my inbound heading and was correcting as we entered the clouds. Feeling this was potentially hazardous to be going IMC without a clear understanding of the coming approach and the reintercept of the inbound course was taking longer than expected and the distance from the VOR was down to about 10 DME, I pulled back up into VMC and started a 360 turn. Unfortunately I was too preoccupied and neglected to clear with ft worth my need for some time. When the 360 turn was nearly completed, ft worth asked me my intentions. I believe I told them I needed some time to familiarize myself with the approach plate and truthfully I don't recall their response. Shortly thereafter we flew over a sizeable clearing in the clouds showing sufficient altitude above ground so I cancelled the IFR and proceeded to airport VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DEVIATES FROM IFR CLRNC WITHOUT ADVISING ATC.

Narrative: BASED ON THE REPORTED WX AT HOBBS, NM, I DID NOT ANTICIPATE THE NEED FOR AN INSTRUMENT APCH, AND AS SIMILAR CONDITIONS HAD BEEN FORECAST THE EVENING BEFORE, I HAD ONLY SUPERFICIALLY GLANCED AT THE APCH PLATE. I LEFT ABQ AT XA47Z WITH TWO PAX, ENCOUNTERING SCATTERED CLOUDS AROUND 8000 AS WE FLEW SE AT 9500. PASSING OVER ROSWELL, APPROX XB40Z, FSS GAVE ME HOBBS CONDITIONS, THEN 10-15 MI E OF ROWSELL, SEEING 2 MAJOR CLOUD LAYERS IN FRONT OF ME, I REVERIFIED HOBBS WX WITH ROSWELL FSS. THE LOWER LAYER APPEARED TO BE TOO CLOSE TO GND TO SAFELY FLY UNDER SO WE CLIMBED TO 11,500 TO CLEAR ALL CLOUDS, EXPECTING THE CLOUDS TO BREAK UP NEARER TO HOBBS AS PER ROSWELL RADIO. AT APPROX 35 DME OUT, NEEDING TO PLAN A LETDOWN, I CONTACTED FT WORTH CENTER WHO CLRED ME TO 8000, WHICH PUT US JUST ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS. THEN FT WORTH CLRED US TO HOB VOR, TOLD US TO EXPECT ILS RWY 3, AND CLRED US TO 7000 AND SHORTLY TO 6000. AT THIS TIME WE WERE ABOUT 20 DME OUT, GETTING CLOSER ALL THE TIME, TRAVELING CLOSE TO 3 MI A MIN WITH A CROSS TO QUARTERING TAILWIND IN THE 10-20 MPH RANGE, ABOVE GEAR EXTENSION RANGE, 3000' ABOVE GLIDE SLOPE INTERCEPT ALT, AND THE APCH PLATES IN THE FAR AFT OF THE CABIN. IN THE PROCESS OF DIRECTING ONE OF THE PAX TO RETRIEVE THE APCH PLATES, I GOT OFF MY INBND HDG AND WAS CORRECTING AS WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS. FEELING THIS WAS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS TO BE GOING IMC WITHOUT A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMING APCH AND THE REINTERCEPT OF THE INBND COURSE WAS TAKING LONGER THAN EXPECTED AND THE DISTANCE FROM THE VOR WAS DOWN TO ABOUT 10 DME, I PULLED BACK UP INTO VMC AND STARTED A 360 TURN. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS TOO PREOCCUPIED AND NEGLECTED TO CLEAR WITH FT WORTH MY NEED FOR SOME TIME. WHEN THE 360 TURN WAS NEARLY COMPLETED, FT WORTH ASKED ME MY INTENTIONS. I BELIEVE I TOLD THEM I NEEDED SOME TIME TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE APCH PLATE AND TRUTHFULLY I DON'T RECALL THEIR RESPONSE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE FLEW OVER A SIZEABLE CLEARING IN THE CLOUDS SHOWING SUFFICIENT ALT ABOVE GND SO I CANCELLED THE IFR AND PROCEEDED TO ARPT VFR.

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.