Narrative:

Austin reporting 200 ft and RVR 5000 ft. We had just been diverted from sat because they had gone below minimums. We had also passed through some very rough air for about 20 minutes and had gotten no help from the center controller when we requested a block of altitude. My workload was very high, new clrncs, frequency, approach plate information, more turbulence, air sick passenger. Austin approach gave me a good turn into the localizer and at that point I got a great case of vertigo. The autoplt also failed to intercept localizer and glide slope. I had to recover the aircraft from 3 DOT deflection of localizer and 3 dots off glide slope while fighting my vertigo. I knew that if I missed this approach I might have to hold to get another try later. I had 1 1/2 hours fuel on board. Dal, sat, and hou had WX that would probably preclude a successful approach. I thought that if I did not get on the ground soon things would start to get tight. At the missed approach I had no runway environment in sight. As I began to clean up and go missed, we came out of the stuff. I called the runway to tower and asked for a circle-to-land. He approved and I began the approach. That is when get-homeitis got me. I would never have believed that I could get it. In my zeal to get on the ground, I don't recall looking at the circle minimums or my altimeter. On my turn to base, the tower broke me off and sent me to approach for another ILS. I made it the second time on the ILS. I should have realized my 1ST approach was not on the money. Nobody had gone missed approach and the tower still claimed a 300 ft ceiling. This should have told me a short wait and a good ILS would put me safely on the ground. I have since looked at the circle minimums and found them to be 368' higher than the tower was calling the ceilings. I believe an alert controller may have saved my bacon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TWIN MAKING ILS APCH IN IMC BREAKS OUT AFTER DECISION HEIGHT AND ATTEMPTS CIRCLE TO LAND BELOW MINIMUMS.

Narrative: AUSTIN REPORTING 200 FT AND RVR 5000 FT. WE HAD JUST BEEN DIVERTED FROM SAT BECAUSE THEY HAD GONE BELOW MINIMUMS. WE HAD ALSO PASSED THROUGH SOME VERY ROUGH AIR FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND HAD GOTTEN NO HELP FROM THE CENTER CTLR WHEN WE REQUESTED A BLOCK OF ALT. MY WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH, NEW CLRNCS, FREQ, APCH PLATE INFO, MORE TURBULENCE, AIR SICK PAX. AUSTIN APCH GAVE ME A GOOD TURN INTO THE LOC AND AT THAT POINT I GOT A GREAT CASE OF VERTIGO. THE AUTOPLT ALSO FAILED TO INTERCEPT LOC AND GLIDE SLOPE. I HAD TO RECOVER THE ACFT FROM 3 DOT DEFLECTION OF LOC AND 3 DOTS OFF GLIDE SLOPE WHILE FIGHTING MY VERTIGO. I KNEW THAT IF I MISSED THIS APCH I MIGHT HAVE TO HOLD TO GET ANOTHER TRY LATER. I HAD 1 1/2 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. DAL, SAT, AND HOU HAD WX THAT WOULD PROBABLY PRECLUDE A SUCCESSFUL APCH. I THOUGHT THAT IF I DID NOT GET ON THE GND SOON THINGS WOULD START TO GET TIGHT. AT THE MISSED APCH I HAD NO RWY ENVIRONMENT IN SIGHT. AS I BEGAN TO CLEAN UP AND GO MISSED, WE CAME OUT OF THE STUFF. I CALLED THE RWY TO TWR AND ASKED FOR A CIRCLE-TO-LAND. HE APPROVED AND I BEGAN THE APCH. THAT IS WHEN GET-HOMEITIS GOT ME. I WOULD NEVER HAVE BELIEVED THAT I COULD GET IT. IN MY ZEAL TO GET ON THE GND, I DON'T RECALL LOOKING AT THE CIRCLE MINIMUMS OR MY ALTIMETER. ON MY TURN TO BASE, THE TWR BROKE ME OFF AND SENT ME TO APCH FOR ANOTHER ILS. I MADE IT THE SECOND TIME ON THE ILS. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED MY 1ST APCH WAS NOT ON THE MONEY. NOBODY HAD GONE MISSED APCH AND THE TWR STILL CLAIMED A 300 FT CEILING. THIS SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME A SHORT WAIT AND A GOOD ILS WOULD PUT ME SAFELY ON THE GND. I HAVE SINCE LOOKED AT THE CIRCLE MINIMUMS AND FOUND THEM TO BE 368' HIGHER THAN THE TWR WAS CALLING THE CEILINGS. I BELIEVE AN ALERT CTLR MAY HAVE SAVED MY BACON.

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.