Female pilot of small aircraft arriving smx complains of poor attitude on the part of ZLA controller...

Attributes
ACN	154458
Time
Date	199008
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smx
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 700 msl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : circling
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
ASRS Report	154458
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying an small aircraft back to smx for a friend, because it was IFR and he is only VFR rated. We got the WX from sba FSS and it was close to minimums. I went over the approach plates, preflted the aircraft and decided to go. I called up la center about 10 mi from the glt VOR (FAF) and had trouble getting a clearance from ATC for an approach. I felt this was because I was a girl in an small aircraft and that he didn't want me to do an approach because the WX was low. He gave me a clearance but kept telling me the WX was close to minimums (100' above) and asking if I wanted to continue. By the time I xed the FAF I was really upset. I probably shouldn't have continued, but into the fog I went. MDA was 600-1/2 for a straight-in; 800-1/2 for a circle to land. At 700-5 my passenger pointed to the runway lights, they were to the left and slightly ahead, right where the runway would be to enter a left downwind. Without thinking I entered a left downwind at 700' and landed safely. It was only when I was on the ground that I remembered the circling minimums. In my training, my instrument and I would do this very approach (VOR 12 smk) to straight-in minimums, then circle. The difference in minimums wasn't really emphasized. Also, I had get homeitis. The plane was supposed to be gotten to santa maria and that's just where I got it. Technically, I should have done a missed approach and tried again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FEMALE PLT OF SMA ARRIVING SMX COMPLAINS OF POOR ATTITUDE ON THE PART OF ZLA CTLR IN QUESTIONING THE PLT'S WILLINGNESS OR ABILITY TO FLY THE APCH. UPON COMPLETING THE APCH, PLT DESCENDS 100' BELOW CIRCLING MINUMUMS INADVERTENLY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN SMA BACK TO SMX FOR A FRIEND, BECAUSE IT WAS IFR AND HE IS ONLY VFR RATED. WE GOT THE WX FROM SBA FSS AND IT WAS CLOSE TO MINIMUMS. I WENT OVER THE APCH PLATES, PREFLTED THE ACFT AND DECIDED TO GO. I CALLED UP LA CTR ABOUT 10 MI FROM THE GLT VOR (FAF) AND HAD TROUBLE GETTING A CLRNC FROM ATC FOR AN APCH. I FELT THIS WAS BECAUSE I WAS A GIRL IN AN SMA AND THAT HE DIDN'T WANT ME TO DO AN APCH BECAUSE THE WX WAS LOW. HE GAVE ME A CLRNC BUT KEPT TELLING ME THE WX WAS CLOSE TO MINIMUMS (100' ABOVE) AND ASKING IF I WANTED TO CONTINUE. BY THE TIME I XED THE FAF I WAS REALLY UPSET. I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE CONTINUED, BUT INTO THE FOG I WENT. MDA WAS 600-1/2 FOR A STRAIGHT-IN; 800-1/2 FOR A CIRCLE TO LAND. AT 700-5 MY PAX POINTED TO THE RWY LIGHTS, THEY WERE TO THE L AND SLIGHTLY AHEAD, RIGHT WHERE THE RWY WOULD BE TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND. WITHOUT THINKING I ENTERED A L DOWNWIND AT 700' AND LANDED SAFELY. IT WAS ONLY WHEN I WAS ON THE GND THAT I REMEMBERED THE CIRCLING MINIMUMS. IN MY TRNING, MY INSTR AND I WOULD DO THIS VERY APCH (VOR 12 SMK) TO STRAIGHT-IN MINIMUMS, THEN CIRCLE. THE DIFFERENCE IN MINIMUMS WASN'T REALLY EMPHASIZED. ALSO, I HAD GET HOMEITIS. THE PLANE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOTTEN TO SANTA MARIA AND THAT'S JUST WHERE I GOT IT. TECHNICALLY, I SHOULD HAVE DONE A MISSED APCH AND TRIED AGAIN.

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.

Female pilot of small aircraft arriving smx complains of poor attitude on the part of ZLA controller in questioning the pilot's willingness or ability to fly the approach. Upon completing the approach, pilot descends 100' below circling minumums inadvertenly.