Narrative:

I was at M83, west point, ms, and wanted to go to 2m6 IFR. I filed a flight plan to mem, 12 1/2 mi northeast of 2m6 because I thought I couldn't get an ASR approach to 2m6 at night ceiling was 900 ft and the visibility was 8 mi. On the ground at mem, I decided to file IFR to the west memphis airport, shoot the NDB approach, cancel IFR and continue to 2m6 (10 mi) VFR. Airline traffic was very heavy and I called memphis TRACON to find out when the traffic would slow down. I had plenty of time and did not want to cause them inconvenience. TRACON said that after pm the rush would be over. I told him of my plan and asked him why I couldn't do the ASR at 2m6 at night. He said that there was no reason why I couldn't. I told him about my experience earlier and he asked me to hold on a min. He came back on the line and said, 'you can do the ASR approach to 2m6 at night, no problem.' I said great, called FSS, filed an IFR flight plan mem direct 2m6 via radar vectors. I was cleared as filed and vectored to a perfect approach. I called my flight instructor when I got home and told her about my flight. She told me that you can't do an ASR approach to 2m6 at night. She is right. I failed to look up the radar approach mins which state, 'procedure not authorized at night.' I was taught to do this while training, but I thought I knew everything about the mins at 2m6. On any other type of approach I would have had an approach plate in front of me. I would have looked up the radar approach mins at an unfamiliar airport, but I had looked at the 2m6 mins so many times that I thought I knew them well. When TRACON told me that it was ok to do the approach at night, I thought that there had been some mistake previously some misunderstanding on my part.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON APPROVED AND GAVE ASR APCH TO 2M6, WALLS ARPT, MS, AT NIGHT CONTRARY TO CHART NOTED RESTRICTION AFTER ASSURING PLT THERE WAS NO NIGHT RESTRICTION FOR THE APCH.

Narrative: I WAS AT M83, W POINT, MS, AND WANTED TO GO TO 2M6 IFR. I FILED A FLT PLAN TO MEM, 12 1/2 MI NE OF 2M6 BECAUSE I THOUGHT I COULDN'T GET AN ASR APCH TO 2M6 AT NIGHT CEILING WAS 900 FT AND THE VISIBILITY WAS 8 MI. ON THE GND AT MEM, I DECIDED TO FILE IFR TO THE W MEMPHIS ARPT, SHOOT THE NDB APCH, CANCEL IFR AND CONTINUE TO 2M6 (10 MI) VFR. AIRLINE TFC WAS VERY HVY AND I CALLED MEMPHIS TRACON TO FIND OUT WHEN THE TFC WOULD SLOW DOWN. I HAD PLENTY OF TIME AND DID NOT WANT TO CAUSE THEM INCONVENIENCE. TRACON SAID THAT AFTER PM THE RUSH WOULD BE OVER. I TOLD HIM OF MY PLAN AND ASKED HIM WHY I COULDN'T DO THE ASR AT 2M6 AT NIGHT. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO REASON WHY I COULDN'T. I TOLD HIM ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE EARLIER AND HE ASKED ME TO HOLD ON A MIN. HE CAME BACK ON THE LINE AND SAID, 'YOU CAN DO THE ASR APCH TO 2M6 AT NIGHT, NO PROBLEM.' I SAID GREAT, CALLED FSS, FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN MEM DIRECT 2M6 VIA RADAR VECTORS. I WAS CLRED AS FILED AND VECTORED TO A PERFECT APCH. I CALLED MY FLT INSTRUCTOR WHEN I GOT HOME AND TOLD HER ABOUT MY FLT. SHE TOLD ME THAT YOU CAN'T DO AN ASR APCH TO 2M6 AT NIGHT. SHE IS RIGHT. I FAILED TO LOOK UP THE RADAR APCH MINS WHICH STATE, 'PROC NOT AUTHORIZED AT NIGHT.' I WAS TAUGHT TO DO THIS WHILE TRAINING, BUT I THOUGHT I KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE MINS AT 2M6. ON ANY OTHER TYPE OF APCH I WOULD HAVE HAD AN APCH PLATE IN FRONT OF ME. I WOULD HAVE LOOKED UP THE RADAR APCH MINS AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, BUT I HAD LOOKED AT THE 2M6 MINS SO MANY TIMES THAT I THOUGHT I KNEW THEM WELL. WHEN TRACON TOLD ME THAT IT WAS OK TO DO THE APCH AT NIGHT, I THOUGHT THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME MISTAKE PREVIOUSLY SOME MISUNDERSTANDING ON MY PART.

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.