Narrative:

Though I had filed remarks of 'no overwater routing', I had acquiesced to chicago approach (ATC/ca) clearance revision about 30 mi south of lake michigan to intercept and fly V7 up the lake about 20 mi offshore. This was my first mistake. I put unnecessary pressure on myself by being somewhere I didn't feel comfortable being. As I approached the initial turn-in to the approach course, ATC/ca asked my indicated (130 KTS at the time) and asked me to give best speed. Though I didn't know it until after being cleared for the approach, ATC had a jet on the ILS very close behind me and expected that I would be able to fly the entire approach at this 'best speed'. After one turn-in vector, ATC/ca asked my indicated (140 KTS then) and told me he needed me faster. I responded by going to 150 KTS. About this time I realized I was getting close to approach interception but had at least 50 degrees left turn remaining. I was at 3000' MSL. The approach begins at 2200' MSL with G/south intercept at 1900' MSL. ATC/ca vectored me another 30 degrees just as the localizer began to move, cleared me for the approach, and tuned over to ugn tower. As best I can recall, this all happened within a mi outside the LOM. All with me trying to put together a stabilized descent, slow down the airplane to my normal 120 KT approach speed, pick up the G/south,and worry about the jet traffic encroahing on my tail! As pwred down and added nose-down pitch, I thought I noticed the altimeter 'stick' at 3000', unsupported by ah and vsi readings. Though I now believe it was my imagination through a somewhat anxious state of mind that made me second guess my altimeter, the combination of all of this led me to announce a missed approach to ugn tower very shortly after being turned over to them. I was inside the LOM but had no reliable fix on my altitude. Upon reflection, I did notice that I was off scale over the G/south but was more interested in getting somewhere safer (ie up) than continuing an approach in an uncomfortable, unstabilized fashion. I was also still IMC. I throttled up, cleaned up the aircraft, put in about 1000 FPM climb and began a left turn per the ma procedure. As soon as tower turned me back over to ATC/ca, the controller informed me that radar had me at 4000' MSL and level. This confirmed my altimeter reading. He also said I had only been cleared to 3000' on the miss and reiterated that clearance along with giving me vectors for another attempt at the ILS 23 (which I had requested). The descent to 3000' and subsequent vectors took me back out over the lake again but at least gave me a mental 'breather'. This time, I was turned on to the approach course with distance to spare T the LOM and began my descent to G/south intercept (1900'). I was just intercepting the localizer but still outside the LOM. I had also broken through the cloud base and had the field in sight when ugn tower told me that ATC/ca had called them with a 600' low altitude alert. This perplexed me as I was showing at least 1600' MSL on my altimeter and the approach plate authority/authorized 1900' on localizer but outside the LOM. I told the tower that I had the field but would climb to meet the G/south. Since there are no ground obstructions on this section of the approach over the lake, and I was VMC, I felt comfortable with the situation and was not eager to lose sight of the field. Finally stabilized on the approach, I had time to xchk my altimeter, vsi and ah which seemed to be coordinated. I landed west/O further complication. Later that evening, while discussing the situation with pilot friends, I concluded that the entire situation could have been avoided if I had simply 'unabled' ATC's requests for clrncs up the middle of the lake, and in front of faster traffic on the first approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA MISSED APCH AT UGN. REVECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH TO 800' CEILING THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL.

Narrative: THOUGH I HAD FILED REMARKS OF 'NO OVERWATER ROUTING', I HAD ACQUIESCED TO CHICAGO APCH (ATC/CA) CLRNC REVISION ABOUT 30 MI S OF LAKE MICHIGAN TO INTERCEPT AND FLY V7 UP THE LAKE ABOUT 20 MI OFFSHORE. THIS WAS MY FIRST MISTAKE. I PUT UNNECESSARY PRESSURE ON MYSELF BY BEING SOMEWHERE I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE BEING. AS I APCHED THE INITIAL TURN-IN TO THE APCH COURSE, ATC/CA ASKED MY INDICATED (130 KTS AT THE TIME) AND ASKED ME TO GIVE BEST SPD. THOUGH I DIDN'T KNOW IT UNTIL AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH, ATC HAD A JET ON THE ILS VERY CLOSE BEHIND ME AND EXPECTED THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO FLY THE ENTIRE APCH AT THIS 'BEST SPD'. AFTER ONE TURN-IN VECTOR, ATC/CA ASKED MY INDICATED (140 KTS THEN) AND TOLD ME HE NEEDED ME FASTER. I RESPONDED BY GOING TO 150 KTS. ABOUT THIS TIME I REALIZED I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO APCH INTERCEPTION BUT HAD AT LEAST 50 DEGS L TURN REMAINING. I WAS AT 3000' MSL. THE APCH BEGINS AT 2200' MSL WITH G/S INTERCEPT AT 1900' MSL. ATC/CA VECTORED ME ANOTHER 30 DEGS JUST AS THE LOC BEGAN TO MOVE, CLRED ME FOR THE APCH, AND TUNED OVER TO UGN TWR. AS BEST I CAN RECALL, THIS ALL HAPPENED WITHIN A MI OUTSIDE THE LOM. ALL WITH ME TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A STABILIZED DSNT, SLOW DOWN THE AIRPLANE TO MY NORMAL 120 KT APCH SPD, PICK UP THE G/S,AND WORRY ABOUT THE JET TFC ENCROAHING ON MY TAIL! AS PWRED DOWN AND ADDED NOSE-DOWN PITCH, I THOUGHT I NOTICED THE ALTIMETER 'STICK' AT 3000', UNSUPPORTED BY AH AND VSI READINGS. THOUGH I NOW BELIEVE IT WAS MY IMAGINATION THROUGH A SOMEWHAT ANXIOUS STATE OF MIND THAT MADE ME SEC GUESS MY ALTIMETER, THE COMBINATION OF ALL OF THIS LED ME TO ANNOUNCE A MISSED APCH TO UGN TWR VERY SHORTLY AFTER BEING TURNED OVER TO THEM. I WAS INSIDE THE LOM BUT HAD NO RELIABLE FIX ON MY ALT. UPON REFLECTION, I DID NOTICE THAT I WAS OFF SCALE OVER THE G/S BUT WAS MORE INTERESTED IN GETTING SOMEWHERE SAFER (IE UP) THAN CONTINUING AN APCH IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE, UNSTABILIZED FASHION. I WAS ALSO STILL IMC. I THROTTLED UP, CLEANED UP THE ACFT, PUT IN ABOUT 1000 FPM CLB AND BEGAN A L TURN PER THE MA PROC. AS SOON AS TWR TURNED ME BACK OVER TO ATC/CA, THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT RADAR HAD ME AT 4000' MSL AND LEVEL. THIS CONFIRMED MY ALTIMETER READING. HE ALSO SAID I HAD ONLY BEEN CLRED TO 3000' ON THE MISS AND REITERATED THAT CLRNC ALONG WITH GIVING ME VECTORS FOR ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT THE ILS 23 (WHICH I HAD REQUESTED). THE DSNT TO 3000' AND SUBSEQUENT VECTORS TOOK ME BACK OUT OVER THE LAKE AGAIN BUT AT LEAST GAVE ME A MENTAL 'BREATHER'. THIS TIME, I WAS TURNED ON TO THE APCH COURSE WITH DISTANCE TO SPARE T THE LOM AND BEGAN MY DSNT TO G/S INTERCEPT (1900'). I WAS JUST INTERCEPTING THE LOC BUT STILL OUTSIDE THE LOM. I HAD ALSO BROKEN THROUGH THE CLOUD BASE AND HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT WHEN UGN TWR TOLD ME THAT ATC/CA HAD CALLED THEM WITH A 600' LOW ALT ALERT. THIS PERPLEXED ME AS I WAS SHOWING AT LEAST 1600' MSL ON MY ALTIMETER AND THE APCH PLATE AUTH 1900' ON LOC BUT OUTSIDE THE LOM. I TOLD THE TWR THAT I HAD THE FIELD BUT WOULD CLB TO MEET THE G/S. SINCE THERE ARE NO GND OBSTRUCTIONS ON THIS SECTION OF THE APCH OVER THE LAKE, AND I WAS VMC, I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SITUATION AND WAS NOT EAGER TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE FIELD. FINALLY STABILIZED ON THE APCH, I HAD TIME TO XCHK MY ALTIMETER, VSI AND AH WHICH SEEMED TO BE COORDINATED. I LANDED W/O FURTHER COMPLICATION. LATER THAT EVENING, WHILE DISCUSSING THE SITUATION WITH PLT FRIENDS, I CONCLUDED THAT THE ENTIRE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD SIMPLY 'UNABLED' ATC'S REQUESTS FOR CLRNCS UP THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE, AND IN FRONT OF FASTER TFC ON THE FIRST APCH.

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.