Narrative:

Passenger and I departed clt direct to tri. We left in VMC and en route filed an IFR flight plan due to lowering ceilings and visibility. Upon reaching our destination we attempted an ILS approach 23 at tri. 2 approachs using the ILS proved unsatisfactory due to an erratic G/south indication. On the second approach I descended to 2400' MSL and broke out of the clouds into a snowstorm right on top of tri. I told tower I was attempted a circle to land approach on runway 23. Tower advised me that visibility was 1/2 mi with rollout RVR at 5000', and that I was to maintain circling minimums. Circling minimums in my situation were 2500' MSL and 1 3/4 mi visibility. I saw the runway after breaking out and circled to the left for a left downwind on runway 23. After finally landing tower asked us to call them as soon as we secured the aircraft. I know of many mistakes that I made during this flight: 1) a thorough preflight would have guaranteed that I would have been aware of the severe WX at my destination. 2) I flew an aircraft not equipped for flight in known icing directly into a severe snowstorm. 3) I broke published approach procedures for a circling to land on runway 23 at tri. This whole scenario would have been prevented had I called FSS for a WX briefing before leaving clt. The whole episode occurred because of bad judgement and pilot error on my part. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter verified aircraft type and explained that, on his first approach, his G/south indication was wavering, so on the second approach he came back for the localizer procedure rather than the ILS. He did not have eaver intersection, so his minimums were now 2500'. He came below that to 2400' before he made visibility contact with the runway, about 1/2 mi out. He was too close to make a straight in descent and landing, so he decided to circle and informed the tower when they asked his intentions. Circling maneuver was accomplished at 2400' and a direct descent to landing was commenced from the base leg. After landing, reporter was told to contact the tower, whereupon the tower supervisor lectured him on flying in icing conditions, landing with inadequate minimums and poor judgement with regard to embarking on this flight in the first place. Reporter said that he has heard nothing from the FAA, and that the tower supervisor initially indicated that he wasn't going to violate him. Reporter said that he was concerned about the amount of fuel that was remaining because he was already diverting to tri because WX at his primary destination had deteriorated. In hindsight, he said that he should have opted to go to another nearby airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI ON ACFT FERRY FLT LANDS AT TRI, HIS ALTERNATE ARPT, IN VISIBILITY CONDITIONS THAT WERE LESS THAN PUBLISHED MINIMUMS FOR THE APCH PROC HE WAS USING, AND DESCENDS TO AN ALT THAT WAS ALSO LESS THAN THE PUBLISHED MINIMUM.

Narrative: PAX AND I DEPARTED CLT DIRECT TO TRI. WE LEFT IN VMC AND ENRTE FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN DUE TO LOWERING CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY. UPON REACHING OUR DEST WE ATTEMPTED AN ILS APCH 23 AT TRI. 2 APCHS USING THE ILS PROVED UNSATISFACTORY DUE TO AN ERRATIC G/S INDICATION. ON THE SECOND APCH I DSNDED TO 2400' MSL AND BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS INTO A SNOWSTORM RIGHT ON TOP OF TRI. I TOLD TWR I WAS ATTEMPTED A CIRCLE TO LAND APCH ON RWY 23. TWR ADVISED ME THAT VISIBILITY WAS 1/2 MI WITH ROLLOUT RVR AT 5000', AND THAT I WAS TO MAINTAIN CIRCLING MINIMUMS. CIRCLING MINIMUMS IN MY SITUATION WERE 2500' MSL AND 1 3/4 MI VISIBILITY. I SAW THE RWY AFTER BREAKING OUT AND CIRCLED TO THE LEFT FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND ON RWY 23. AFTER FINALLY LNDG TWR ASKED US TO CALL THEM AS SOON AS WE SECURED THE ACFT. I KNOW OF MANY MISTAKES THAT I MADE DURING THIS FLT: 1) A THOROUGH PREFLT WOULD HAVE GUARANTEED THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE SEVERE WX AT MY DEST. 2) I FLEW AN ACFT NOT EQUIPPED FOR FLT IN KNOWN ICING DIRECTLY INTO A SEVERE SNOWSTORM. 3) I BROKE PUBLISHED APCH PROCS FOR A CIRCLING TO LAND ON RWY 23 AT TRI. THIS WHOLE SCENARIO WOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD I CALLED FSS FOR A WX BRIEFING BEFORE LEAVING CLT. THE WHOLE EPISODE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF BAD JUDGEMENT AND PLT ERROR ON MY PART. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR VERIFIED ACFT TYPE AND EXPLAINED THAT, ON HIS FIRST APCH, HIS G/S INDICATION WAS WAVERING, SO ON THE SECOND APCH HE CAME BACK FOR THE LOC PROC RATHER THAN THE ILS. HE DID NOT HAVE EAVER INTXN, SO HIS MINIMUMS WERE NOW 2500'. HE CAME BELOW THAT TO 2400' BEFORE HE MADE VIS CONTACT WITH THE RWY, ABOUT 1/2 MI OUT. HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO MAKE A STRAIGHT IN DESCENT AND LNDG, SO HE DECIDED TO CIRCLE AND INFORMED THE TWR WHEN THEY ASKED HIS INTENTIONS. CIRCLING MANEUVER WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT 2400' AND A DIRECT DSCNT TO LNDG WAS COMMENCED FROM THE BASE LEG. AFTER LNDG, RPTR WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR, WHEREUPON THE TWR SUPVR LECTURED HIM ON FLYING IN ICING CONDITIONS, LNDG WITH INADEQUATE MINIMUMS AND POOR JUDGEMENT WITH REGARD TO EMBARKING ON THIS FLT IN THE FIRST PLACE. RPTR SAID THAT HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA, AND THAT THE TWR SUPVR INITIALLY INDICATED THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO VIOLATE HIM. RPTR SAID THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT WAS REMAINING BECAUSE HE WAS ALREADY DIVERTING TO TRI BECAUSE WX AT HIS PRIMARY DEST HAD DETERIORATED. IN HINDSIGHT, HE SAID THAT HE SHOULD HAVE OPTED TO GO TO ANOTHER NEARBY ARPT.

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.