Narrative:

I made the NDB approach to york airport planning to cancel on the ground by radio with the frequency specified. When I saw the airport, I was in VFR conditions and I had lowered the gear but only 2 green lights appeared. I was too high to land so I circled and came downwind to pattern altitude with the airport in sight. I tried many times to recycle the gear without success during this extended downwind leg. I then decided to climb and called harrisburg approach and advised that I was climbing and doing a missed approach. They told me to do the published miss and climb to 3000. I climbed to 3000 but had gone past the holding point for the missed approach which is the intersection of an NDB radial and a VOR radial. I could not fly direct to this intersection using RNAV. I spent some 2-3 mins in VMC conditions without radar contact and further clearance from harrisburg approach. After 2-3 mins they cleared me to harrisburg VOR. I finally got a further clearance to return to youngstown, oh, area -- my home area -- that was clear. The third green finally came on and I landed safely in grove city (29D) where it was determined that the gear latch needed to be adjusted so that it would not operate in the above intermittent fashion. I think I made the correct decisions but should have reported a miss earlier so that I could go to the designated hold point. I recommend that the holding point be better idented on the approach plate by giving the DME distance from the VOR so that you can go RNAV direct.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISSED APCH PROC.

Narrative: I MADE THE NDB APCH TO YORK ARPT PLANNING TO CANCEL ON THE GND BY RADIO WITH THE FREQ SPECIFIED. WHEN I SAW THE ARPT, I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS AND I HAD LOWERED THE GEAR BUT ONLY 2 GREEN LIGHTS APPEARED. I WAS TOO HIGH TO LAND SO I CIRCLED AND CAME DOWNWIND TO PATTERN ALT WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I TRIED MANY TIMES TO RECYCLE THE GEAR WITHOUT SUCCESS DURING THIS EXTENDED DOWNWIND LEG. I THEN DECIDED TO CLB AND CALLED HARRISBURG APCH AND ADVISED THAT I WAS CLBING AND DOING A MISSED APCH. THEY TOLD ME TO DO THE PUBLISHED MISS AND CLB TO 3000. I CLBED TO 3000 BUT HAD GONE PAST THE HOLDING POINT FOR THE MISSED APCH WHICH IS THE INTXN OF AN NDB RADIAL AND A VOR RADIAL. I COULD NOT FLY DIRECT TO THIS INTXN USING RNAV. I SPENT SOME 2-3 MINS IN VMC CONDITIONS WITHOUT RADAR CONTACT AND FURTHER CLRNC FROM HARRISBURG APCH. AFTER 2-3 MINS THEY CLRED ME TO HARRISBURG VOR. I FINALLY GOT A FURTHER CLRNC TO RETURN TO YOUNGSTOWN, OH, AREA -- MY HOME AREA -- THAT WAS CLR. THE THIRD GREEN FINALLY CAME ON AND I LANDED SAFELY IN GROVE CITY (29D) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR LATCH NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED SO THAT IT WOULD NOT OPERATE IN THE ABOVE INTERMITTENT FASHION. I THINK I MADE THE CORRECT DECISIONS BUT SHOULD HAVE RPTED A MISS EARLIER SO THAT I COULD GO TO THE DESIGNATED HOLD POINT. I RECOMMEND THAT THE HOLDING POINT BE BETTER IDENTED ON THE APCH PLATE BY GIVING THE DME DISTANCE FROM THE VOR SO THAT YOU CAN GO RNAV DIRECT.

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.