Narrative:

The purpose of this training flight was to build night flying experience by flying a x-country. I planned a VFR trip from ugn-rfd-msn-gun. The CFI felt the trip would be more challenging and informative if we went IFR, with the thought of eventually working toward an IFR rating. The CFI planned the flight and filed a flight plan. At rfd we received our clearance into msn after a stop and go. The CFI had me request an ASR approach into msn. Msn granted the request but informed us they would cancel it and give us the ILS to 18 since traffic was landing on 18. At 1500' MSL the approach was broken off. Msn ATC cleared us to circle to landon 22. The winds were fairly high and turbulence was moderate. The CFI had covered the dg during approach, I broke the approach off and headed to the right looking for 22. With the dg still covered I realized I was not sure which runway was 22. I removed the dg cover and positively idented runway 22. Having passed 22 I began to turn around to the left, realizing immediately this was a mistake since ATC had informed us that traffic was on final for 18. The turbulence was very distracting and a strong south wind made things happen fast. I tightened my turn as much as possible to get out of the approach end of 18. I did not see the traffic on final, so I have no idea how close I came ot them. The CFI at no point took over control. However, I think he realized what was happening and just panicked. After landing on 22 my CFI informed me he should have taken over, but failed to do so. At this point the tower asked me to call him. The CFI talked to the controller and did not inform me what was said. He seemed very apologetic and told the controller what had happened. I do know that the controller cancelled the flight plan. The CFI told me it was never opened and that's why it was cancelled. We proceeded VFR back to ugn. Visibilities during this flight were 6 or grater and the skies clear. This event could have been prevented by me not concentrating on flying an unfamiliar ASR approach and then breaking things off at the last minute and then expecting to find the runway at night in moderate turbulence while remaining clear of traffic on final I did not see. Had we proceeded inbound VFR and allowed ATC to vector me to runway 22 this event would not have occurred. My CFI should have taken charge and corrected things immediately. He knew I was unfamiliar with this approach. As students we place our trust and safety in our instrs. I will not fly with this CFI anymore and will always challenge my abilities with what my instrument expects. I must add that after this flight the CFI reluctantly signed my log book and refused payment. He also indicated he was only acting as a safety pilot since the flight was VFR. Supplemental information from acn 157073: the chart diagram of the airport was referred to during the final segment of the approach, but due to the tailwind and the abrupt turbulence, recognition of the runway of intended use at night with the dg covered I was too slow to avoid an incursion across the large transport path on the ILS to runway 18. Better awareness of the airport environment, conditions of flight and a more assertive instrument action would have avoided this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA TRACK DEVIATION MAKING A CIRCLING APCH AT NIGHT FROM AN ASR APCH. SMA TRACK ENCROACHED ON AN ACR INBOUND TO A CROSSING RWY.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS TRNING FLT WAS TO BUILD NIGHT FLYING EXPERIENCE BY FLYING A X-COUNTRY. I PLANNED A VFR TRIP FROM UGN-RFD-MSN-GUN. THE CFI FELT THE TRIP WOULD BE MORE CHALLENGING AND INFORMATIVE IF WE WENT IFR, WITH THE THOUGHT OF EVENTUALLY WORKING TOWARD AN IFR RATING. THE CFI PLANNED THE FLT AND FILED A FLT PLAN. AT RFD WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC INTO MSN AFTER A STOP AND GO. THE CFI HAD ME REQUEST AN ASR APCH INTO MSN. MSN GRANTED THE REQUEST BUT INFORMED US THEY WOULD CANCEL IT AND GIVE US THE ILS TO 18 SINCE TFC WAS LNDG ON 18. AT 1500' MSL THE APCH WAS BROKEN OFF. MSN ATC CLRED US TO CIRCLE TO LANDON 22. THE WINDS WERE FAIRLY HIGH AND TURB WAS MODERATE. THE CFI HAD COVERED THE DG DURING APCH, I BROKE THE APCH OFF AND HEADED TO THE RIGHT LOOKING FOR 22. WITH THE DG STILL COVERED I REALIZED I WAS NOT SURE WHICH RWY WAS 22. I REMOVED THE DG COVER AND POSITIVELY IDENTED RWY 22. HAVING PASSED 22 I BEGAN TO TURN AROUND TO THE LEFT, REALIZING IMMEDIATELY THIS WAS A MISTAKE SINCE ATC HAD INFORMED US THAT TFC WAS ON FINAL FOR 18. THE TURB WAS VERY DISTRACTING AND A STRONG S WIND MADE THINGS HAPPEN FAST. I TIGHTENED MY TURN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF THE APCH END OF 18. I DID NOT SEE THE TFC ON FINAL, SO I HAVE NO IDEA HOW CLOSE I CAME OT THEM. THE CFI AT NO POINT TOOK OVER CTL. HOWEVER, I THINK HE REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND JUST PANICKED. AFTER LNDG ON 22 MY CFI INFORMED ME HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER, BUT FAILED TO DO SO. AT THIS POINT THE TWR ASKED ME TO CALL HIM. THE CFI TALKED TO THE CTLR AND DID NOT INFORM ME WHAT WAS SAID. HE SEEMED VERY APOLOGETIC AND TOLD THE CTLR WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I DO KNOW THAT THE CTLR CANCELLED THE FLT PLAN. THE CFI TOLD ME IT WAS NEVER OPENED AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS CANCELLED. WE PROCEEDED VFR BACK TO UGN. VISIBILITIES DURING THIS FLT WERE 6 OR GRATER AND THE SKIES CLR. THIS EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY ME NOT CONCENTRATING ON FLYING AN UNFAMILIAR ASR APCH AND THEN BREAKING THINGS OFF AT THE LAST MINUTE AND THEN EXPECTING TO FIND THE RWY AT NIGHT IN MODERATE TURB WHILE REMAINING CLR OF TFC ON FINAL I DID NOT SEE. HAD WE PROCEEDED INBND VFR AND ALLOWED ATC TO VECTOR ME TO RWY 22 THIS EVENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. MY CFI SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CHARGE AND CORRECTED THINGS IMMEDIATELY. HE KNEW I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS APCH. AS STUDENTS WE PLACE OUR TRUST AND SAFETY IN OUR INSTRS. I WILL NOT FLY WITH THIS CFI ANYMORE AND WILL ALWAYS CHALLENGE MY ABILITIES WITH WHAT MY INSTR EXPECTS. I MUST ADD THAT AFTER THIS FLT THE CFI RELUCTANTLY SIGNED MY LOG BOOK AND REFUSED PAYMENT. HE ALSO INDICATED HE WAS ONLY ACTING AS A SAFETY PLT SINCE THE FLT WAS VFR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 157073: THE CHART DIAGRAM OF THE ARPT WAS REFERRED TO DURING THE FINAL SEGMENT OF THE APCH, BUT DUE TO THE TAILWIND AND THE ABRUPT TURB, RECOGNITION OF THE RWY OF INTENDED USE AT NIGHT WITH THE DG COVERED I WAS TOO SLOW TO AVOID AN INCURSION ACROSS THE LGT PATH ON THE ILS TO RWY 18. BETTER AWARENESS OF THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT, CONDITIONS OF FLT AND A MORE ASSERTIVE INSTR ACTION WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS SITUATION.

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.