Narrative:

Had left from pvd VFR on a passenger charter flight for rochester, ny. I had a very complete WX briefing with telephone contact with bridgeport flight service along with a complete written log ov the WX from my duat. The flight could possibly have been completed VFR but there was a chance of IFR from a large front moving in from the west. I called albany with whom I had already been using for VFR advisories and asked if they could get me an IFR via direct georgetown direct at 6000'. They complied and I then proceeded on. The winds at 6000' were killing the gndspd so I requested 4000' which I received. This altitude put me in and out of a broken deck which began a light rime icing condition to develop. I informed approach of the situation and continued on to rochester. The boots worked perfectly as did the hot plate and the propeller deicers. Total accumulation was less than 1/2'. About 50 mi out I picked up the ATIS which told me to expect the ILS 22. I always try to set up the approach using every available piece of equipment that could in any way assist. At about 40 mi out I was ready for the ILS 22. Rather than use descent rates that cause discomfort for passengers and shock cooling of the engines I have always tried to get down as far out as possible. I began asking for lower as far out as 25 mi and got cleared to 2100'. Because the inbound altitude outside the fap for 22 is 2500' I became puzzled about the controllers motives. I thought that I had to be missing something and started studying the plate looking for a reason for the lower altitude. When I couldn't find anything I called rochester approach and asked to confirm the descent to 2100'. They affirmed this. I flew along deeper into the zone before finally questioning ATC about whether I was doing the ILS 22. They said no that I was doing the ILS 28. Now the cockpit load went to level 10. I was close in, in a descent and trying to set up an approach in record speed. The ILS 4 plate with the airport diagram fell on the floor. This was now impossible to pick up because with the front seat occupied the only place for my flight bag is directly in front of my seat filling that cavity. About midway in getting the approach set up I was on a 300 heading and cleared for the approach. I questioned ATC whether it was to be a 'full approach or a straight-in. They told me a straight-in contact tower. I just began to break out and tower told me to circle to land runway 25. I requested a straight-in to runway 28 which they denied. Having the airport in sight but poorly because of some ice remaining on the left side of the hot plate I proceeded inbound. As I neared the airport I became confused as to which runway was 25. About then I heard someone say 'where is that small transport going?' rochester has 3 runways within 60 degrees of one another. I called a missed approach tower gave me a south heading, maintain altitude and set me up for a left downwind entry to runway 25. The landing was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISSED CHANGE IN APCH RWY UNTIL VERY CLOSE IN.

Narrative: HAD L FROM PVD VFR ON A PAX CHARTER FLT FOR ROCHESTER, NY. I HAD A VERY COMPLETE WX BRIEFING WITH TELEPHONE CONTACT WITH BRIDGEPORT FLT SVC ALONG WITH A COMPLETE WRITTEN LOG OV THE WX FROM MY DUAT. THE FLT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN COMPLETED VFR BUT THERE WAS A CHANCE OF IFR FROM A LARGE FRONT MOVING IN FROM THE W. I CALLED ALBANY WITH WHOM I HAD ALREADY BEEN USING FOR VFR ADVISORIES AND ASKED IF THEY COULD GET ME AN IFR VIA DIRECT GEORGETOWN DIRECT AT 6000'. THEY COMPLIED AND I THEN PROCEEDED ON. THE WINDS AT 6000' WERE KILLING THE GNDSPD SO I REQUESTED 4000' WHICH I RECEIVED. THIS ALT PUT ME IN AND OUT OF A BROKEN DECK WHICH BEGAN A LIGHT RIME ICING CONDITION TO DEVELOP. I INFORMED APCH OF THE SITUATION AND CONTINUED ON TO ROCHESTER. THE BOOTS WORKED PERFECTLY AS DID THE HOT PLATE AND THE PROP DEICERS. TOTAL ACCUMULATION WAS LESS THAN 1/2'. ABOUT 50 MI OUT I PICKED UP THE ATIS WHICH TOLD ME TO EXPECT THE ILS 22. I ALWAYS TRY TO SET UP THE APCH USING EVERY AVAILABLE PIECE OF EQUIP THAT COULD IN ANY WAY ASSIST. AT ABOUT 40 MI OUT I WAS READY FOR THE ILS 22. RATHER THAN USE DSNT RATES THAT CAUSE DISCOMFORT FOR PAXS AND SHOCK COOLING OF THE ENGS I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO GET DOWN AS FAR OUT AS POSSIBLE. I BEGAN ASKING FOR LOWER AS FAR OUT AS 25 MI AND GOT CLRED TO 2100'. BECAUSE THE INBND ALT OUTSIDE THE FAP FOR 22 IS 2500' I BECAME PUZZLED ABOUT THE CTLRS MOTIVES. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD TO BE MISSING SOMETHING AND STARTED STUDYING THE PLATE LOOKING FOR A REASON FOR THE LOWER ALT. WHEN I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING I CALLED ROCHESTER APCH AND ASKED TO CONFIRM THE DSNT TO 2100'. THEY AFFIRMED THIS. I FLEW ALONG DEEPER INTO THE ZONE BEFORE FINALLY QUESTIONING ATC ABOUT WHETHER I WAS DOING THE ILS 22. THEY SAID NO THAT I WAS DOING THE ILS 28. NOW THE COCKPIT LOAD WENT TO LEVEL 10. I WAS CLOSE IN, IN A DSNT AND TRYING TO SET UP AN APCH IN RECORD SPD. THE ILS 4 PLATE WITH THE ARPT DIAGRAM FELL ON THE FLOOR. THIS WAS NOW IMPOSSIBLE TO PICK UP BECAUSE WITH THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPIED THE ONLY PLACE FOR MY FLT BAG IS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY SEAT FILLING THAT CAVITY. ABOUT MIDWAY IN GETTING THE APCH SET UP I WAS ON A 300 HDG AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. I QUESTIONED ATC WHETHER IT WAS TO BE A 'FULL APCH OR A STRAIGHT-IN. THEY TOLD ME A STRAIGHT-IN CONTACT TWR. I JUST BEGAN TO BREAK OUT AND TWR TOLD ME TO CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 25. I REQUESTED A STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 28 WHICH THEY DENIED. HAVING THE ARPT IN SIGHT BUT POORLY BECAUSE OF SOME ICE REMAINING ON THE L SIDE OF THE HOT PLATE I PROCEEDED INBND. AS I NEARED THE ARPT I BECAME CONFUSED AS TO WHICH RWY WAS 25. ABOUT THEN I HEARD SOMEONE SAY 'WHERE IS THAT SMT GOING?' ROCHESTER HAS 3 RWYS WITHIN 60 DEGS OF ONE ANOTHER. I CALLED A MISSED APCH TWR GAVE ME A S HDG, MAINTAIN ALT AND SET ME UP FOR A L DOWNWIND ENTRY TO RWY 25. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.