Narrative:

On 3/thur/90 I flew in accord with IFR flight plan from C16 to I17. The navigation facility for the VOR a approach to piqua, for which we were cleared, is the dayton VOR. The right from dayton is 025. The orientation of the only runway at piqua is 08-26. MDA, having established chowe intersection, is 500' AGL. While descending to that MDA, ATC cleared us to change to advisory frequency and requested that we cancel our flight plan either on their frequency or by telephone on the ground. We switched and soon thereafter broke out and saw the airport. We also saw a twin engine aircraft back taxiing runway 08 and heard its broadcast thereof. Piqua's runway is approximately 4000' and this act had approximately 2000' to taxi. Realizing we would not be able to circle left and land immediately (using a 270 overhead type maneuver) we held our course for appropriately 1 to 2 mi and turned right to a southerly heading which enabled us to return to and enter the left hand traffic pattern in the normal manner. During this maneuver we never lost sight of the airport and in fact, finding ourselves in much better WX conditions north of the airport, we climbed to 800' AGL as we turned back toward the airport. We entered downwind and, as we came abreast of the runway threshold, the other aircraft commenced its takeoff roll. At this point we switched frequency to ATC to cancel our IFR flight plan. The problems with this procedure were as follows: when we executed the right turn we may have been deemed to be 'in the vicinity of an airport'. When it was apparent that we could not land using a normal circling maneuver (if there is such a thing) we did not immediately declare a missed approach. For approximately two mins ATC was unaware of what we were doing because we failed to advise them of our intentions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT TWIN MADE APCH TO PIQUA BUT UNABLE TO LAND ACCOUNT ACFT BACK TAXIING ON RWY. REPORTER CIRCLED.

Narrative: ON 3/THUR/90 I FLEW IN ACCORD WITH IFR FLT PLAN FROM C16 TO I17. THE NAV FAC FOR THE VOR A APCH TO PIQUA, FOR WHICH WE WERE CLRED, IS THE DAYTON VOR. THE R FROM DAYTON IS 025. THE ORIENTATION OF THE ONLY RWY AT PIQUA IS 08-26. MDA, HAVING ESTABLISHED CHOWE INTXN, IS 500' AGL. WHILE DSNDING TO THAT MDA, ATC CLRED US TO CHANGE TO ADVISORY FREQ AND REQUESTED THAT WE CANCEL OUR FLT PLAN EITHER ON THEIR FREQ OR BY TELEPHONE ON THE GND. WE SWITCHED AND SOON THEREAFTER BROKE OUT AND SAW THE ARPT. WE ALSO SAW A TWIN ENG ACFT BACK TAXIING RWY 08 AND HEARD ITS BROADCAST THEREOF. PIQUA'S RWY IS APPROX 4000' AND THIS ACT HAD APPROX 2000' TO TAXI. REALIZING WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CIRCLE L AND LAND IMMEDIATELY (USING A 270 OVERHEAD TYPE MANEUVER) WE HELD OUR COURSE FOR APPROPRIATELY 1 TO 2 MI AND TURNED R TO A SOUTHERLY HDG WHICH ENABLED US TO RETURN TO AND ENTER THE L HAND TFC PATTERN IN THE NORMAL MANNER. DURING THIS MANEUVER WE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE ARPT AND IN FACT, FINDING OURSELVES IN MUCH BETTER WX CONDITIONS N OF THE ARPT, WE CLBED TO 800' AGL AS WE TURNED BACK TOWARD THE ARPT. WE ENTERED DOWNWIND AND, AS WE CAME ABREAST OF THE RWY THRESHOLD, THE OTHER ACFT COMMENCED ITS TKOF ROLL. AT THIS POINT WE SWITCHED FREQ TO ATC TO CANCEL OUR IFR FLT PLAN. THE PROBS WITH THIS PROC WERE AS FOLLOWS: WHEN WE EXECUTED THE R TURN WE MAY HAVE BEEN DEEMED TO BE 'IN THE VICINITY OF AN ARPT'. WHEN IT WAS APPARENT THAT WE COULD NOT LAND USING A NORMAL CIRCLING MANEUVER (IF THERE IS SUCH A THING) WE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY DECLARE A MISSED APCH. FOR APPROX TWO MINS ATC WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT WE WERE DOING BECAUSE WE FAILED TO ADVISE THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.