Narrative:

En route from rapid city to st paul downtown airport, on IFR flight plan. VFR until 60 mi west of twin cities. Could not get recent PIREP for area, went so far as to ask msp center to query recent departures, as a number of them were in my area; no answer (question was: ice in clouds?). Continued to st paul by vectors. Avoided most clouds by requesting higher altitude until proximity to st paul necessitated descent to 4000' and into clouds. Light (plus) ice in clouds. Descended to 2700' MSL and cleared for approach. Soon after turning to final heading of 300 degrees and about 2 mi outside NDB, I descended to 2000' MSL. Approach control cancelled my clearance and vectored me around for another try. This approach was properly executed. Factors contributing to this incident. I did not thoroughly study approach plate before attempting the approach due to my supposed familiarity with this procedure. I have made this approach many times. Cockpit lighting is poor, flashlight required. Ice on aircraft. High workload NDB approach. Poor instrument lighting, dg, altimeter airspeed indicator and engine instruments are unlit and illuminated by remote swivel lights mounted on cabin ceiling. (I have since ordered post lights for all unlit instruments). During the past several yrs, st paul downtown airport had undergone extensive renovation and improvements(?) a new, realigned runway was built (14-32, 6550') and an ILS was installed. What should have been an improvement is a disaster. The localizer was removed from 30 and installed on 32 with a new G/south, leaving the NDB on 30. Unfortunately, the new ILS approach conflicts with arriving/departing traffic at msp when runways 11/29 are in use, which is most of the time. The result is that the ILS/localizer 32 is almost never available in actual IFR conditions. Before the airport was improved(?), there was a localizer available. Now the field had an ILS that's not available. This is no improvement, and a factor in decreased operational safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER IN SMA ACFT ON INSTRUMENT APCH TO STP MISSED APCH AND WAS VECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM RAPID CITY TO ST PAUL DOWNTOWN ARPT, ON IFR FLT PLAN. VFR UNTIL 60 MI W OF TWIN CITIES. COULD NOT GET RECENT PIREP FOR AREA, WENT SO FAR AS TO ASK MSP CTR TO QUERY RECENT DEPS, AS A NUMBER OF THEM WERE IN MY AREA; NO ANSWER (QUESTION WAS: ICE IN CLOUDS?). CONTINUED TO ST PAUL BY VECTORS. AVOIDED MOST CLOUDS BY REQUESTING HIGHER ALT UNTIL PROX TO ST PAUL NECESSITATED DSNT TO 4000' AND INTO CLOUDS. LIGHT (PLUS) ICE IN CLOUDS. DSNDED TO 2700' MSL AND CLRED FOR APCH. SOON AFTER TURNING TO FINAL HDG OF 300 DEGS AND ABOUT 2 MI OUTSIDE NDB, I DSNDED TO 2000' MSL. APCH CTL CANCELLED MY CLRNC AND VECTORED ME AROUND FOR ANOTHER TRY. THIS APCH WAS PROPERLY EXECUTED. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT. I DID NOT THOROUGHLY STUDY APCH PLATE BEFORE ATTEMPTING THE APCH DUE TO MY SUPPOSED FAMILIARITY WITH THIS PROC. I HAVE MADE THIS APCH MANY TIMES. COCKPIT LIGHTING IS POOR, FLASHLIGHT REQUIRED. ICE ON ACFT. HIGH WORKLOAD NDB APCH. POOR INSTRUMENT LIGHTING, DG, ALTIMETER AIRSPEED INDICATOR AND ENG INSTRUMENTS ARE UNLIT AND ILLUMINATED BY REMOTE SWIVEL LIGHTS MOUNTED ON CABIN CEILING. (I HAVE SINCE ORDERED POST LIGHTS FOR ALL UNLIT INSTRUMENTS). DURING THE PAST SEVERAL YRS, ST PAUL DOWNTOWN ARPT HAD UNDERGONE EXTENSIVE RENOVATION AND IMPROVEMENTS(?) A NEW, REALIGNED RWY WAS BUILT (14-32, 6550') AND AN ILS WAS INSTALLED. WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN IMPROVEMENT IS A DISASTER. THE LOC WAS REMOVED FROM 30 AND INSTALLED ON 32 WITH A NEW G/S, LEAVING THE NDB ON 30. UNFORTUNATELY, THE NEW ILS APCH CONFLICTS WITH ARRIVING/DEPARTING TFC AT MSP WHEN RWYS 11/29 ARE IN USE, WHICH IS MOST OF THE TIME. THE RESULT IS THAT THE ILS/LOC 32 IS ALMOST NEVER AVAILABLE IN ACTUAL IFR CONDITIONS. BEFORE THE ARPT WAS IMPROVED(?), THERE WAS A LOC AVAILABLE. NOW THE FIELD HAD AN ILS THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE. THIS IS NO IMPROVEMENT, AND A FACTOR IN DECREASED OPERATIONAL SAFETY.

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.