Narrative:

The situation really arose 3 months ago when I relocated to bakersfield from san diego. I have not had access to rental aircraft like I did in my san diego flying club. About 2 weeks ago I finally got around to getting checked out in an small aircraft at a local FBO. Conditions were VFR (VMC) and we ran through the basic maneuvers, stalls, MCA, steep turns, and touch and goes, so no navigation work was required. Anxious to stay proficient I rented the same aircraft for a short local IFR flight. I knew the plane had a single VOR navigation and a ii morrow LORAN. I had decided to 'shoot' a VOR approach to porterville and back to bakersfield meadows (bfl) for an ILS. Flying the approach to ptv was not really a problem using just the single narlo navigation, it had a standby frequency function and I FLIP-flopped between shafter (ehf) and porterville vortacs to define my arrival over 'ducor' intersection. Finishing the approach at porterville, I followed my clearance instructions back to bfl. However when I tuned in the localizer frequency for bfl I finally realized there was no GS indicator nor marker beacon receivers. I already knew the plane had no ADF receiver also. Therefore I had no way to identify 'niley' the FAF. I called approach, hesitant to confess my predicament, and asked for a localizer approach instead of the ILS runway 30R. Established just outside niley approach asked me to report niley. My reply was 'negative niley, no ADF' which he responded curiously 'thank-you' and handed me off to tower. I had been hoping for some help to identify 'niley' from approach. But again was hesitant to confess my negligence. I was level at 2400 ft MSL and the tower cleared me to land. Base of the IMC was 1000 ft MSL and tops roughly 2000 ft MSL. I asked the tower if I was clear to vacate 2400 ft and his reply was a surprised 'yes, you're cleared to land.' upon hearing this, and knowing I was really close to the airport, I pulled the carburetor heat on and throttle to idle. I had the localizer needle centered throughout (it was the only thing I had going for me). The resulting no flap descent yielded about 1000 plus FPM and an airspeed of about 110 KTS, outside the white arc. I 'broke out' of the base with the displaced threshold immediately in front of me at about 400 ft AGL. I knew I was coming in with a lot of excess speed and had to bleed it off in ground effect still without flaps. I landed safely and had come to a stop at exit 'juliet' 2/3 of the 10000 plus ft runway had been used up! ATC apparently never became fully aware of my situation and no questions were asked. After I secured the aircraft, I talked to the instructor who had checked me out and told him of my flight. He said he didn't realize, himself, that the plane had no GS. Having only been with this FBO for only about 4 weeks. I told no one else but 2 close friends and they agreed that I should fill out a NASA report to protect myself. The following factors, I feel, contributed to this event. Having flown better equipped airplanes in san diego led me to believe this plane would have a GS indicator even if there was only 1 navigation (fairly new narlo radios). Anxious to stay proficient led me to be negligent of far 91.205 (D) (2) '2-way radio communications system and navigational equipment appropriate to ground facilities to be used.' failure of CFI conducting check out to bring my attention to the limited navigation capabilities of this aircraft. Lessons learned: don't take anything for granted! Don't be in a hurry. I was very lucky!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR SHOT A LOC APCH TO BFL. THE ONLY NAV EQUIP HE HAS WAS A LOC RECEIVER; NO GS, ADF OR MARKER BEACON RECEIVER.

Narrative: THE SITUATION REALLY AROSE 3 MONTHS AGO WHEN I RELOCATED TO BAKERSFIELD FROM SAN DIEGO. I HAVE NOT HAD ACCESS TO RENTAL ACFT LIKE I DID IN MY SAN DIEGO FLYING CLUB. ABOUT 2 WKS AGO I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO GETTING CHKED OUT IN AN SMA AT A LCL FBO. CONDITIONS WERE VFR (VMC) AND WE RAN THROUGH THE BASIC MANEUVERS, STALLS, MCA, STEEP TURNS, AND TOUCH AND GOES, SO NO NAV WORK WAS REQUIRED. ANXIOUS TO STAY PROFICIENT I RENTED THE SAME ACFT FOR A SHORT LCL IFR FLT. I KNEW THE PLANE HAD A SINGLE VOR NAV AND A II MORROW LORAN. I HAD DECIDED TO 'SHOOT' A VOR APCH TO PORTERVILLE AND BACK TO BAKERSFIELD MEADOWS (BFL) FOR AN ILS. FLYING THE APCH TO PTV WAS NOT REALLY A PROBLEM USING JUST THE SINGLE NARLO NAV, IT HAD A STANDBY FREQ FUNCTION AND I FLIP-FLOPPED BTWN SHAFTER (EHF) AND PORTERVILLE VORTACS TO DEFINE MY ARR OVER 'DUCOR' INTXN. FINISHING THE APCH AT PORTERVILLE, I FOLLOWED MY CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS BACK TO BFL. HOWEVER WHEN I TUNED IN THE LOC FREQ FOR BFL I FINALLY REALIZED THERE WAS NO GS INDICATOR NOR MARKER BEACON RECEIVERS. I ALREADY KNEW THE PLANE HAD NO ADF RECEIVER ALSO. THEREFORE I HAD NO WAY TO IDENT 'NILEY' THE FAF. I CALLED APCH, HESITANT TO CONFESS MY PREDICAMENT, AND ASKED FOR A LOC APCH INSTEAD OF THE ILS RWY 30R. ESTABLISHED JUST OUTSIDE NILEY APCH ASKED ME TO RPT NILEY. MY REPLY WAS 'NEGATIVE NILEY, NO ADF' WHICH HE RESPONDED CURIOUSLY 'THANK-YOU' AND HANDED ME OFF TO TWR. I HAD BEEN HOPING FOR SOME HELP TO IDENT 'NILEY' FROM APCH. BUT AGAIN WAS HESITANT TO CONFESS MY NEGLIGENCE. I WAS LEVEL AT 2400 FT MSL AND THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND. BASE OF THE IMC WAS 1000 FT MSL AND TOPS ROUGHLY 2000 FT MSL. I ASKED THE TWR IF I WAS CLR TO VACATE 2400 FT AND HIS REPLY WAS A SURPRISED 'YES, YOU'RE CLRED TO LAND.' UPON HEARING THIS, AND KNOWING I WAS REALLY CLOSE TO THE ARPT, I PULLED THE CARB HEAT ON AND THROTTLE TO IDLE. I HAD THE LOC NEEDLE CENTERED THROUGHOUT (IT WAS THE ONLY THING I HAD GOING FOR ME). THE RESULTING NO FLAP DSCNT YIELDED ABOUT 1000 PLUS FPM AND AN AIRSPD OF ABOUT 110 KTS, OUTSIDE THE WHITE ARC. I 'BROKE OUT' OF THE BASE WITH THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF ME AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL. I KNEW I WAS COMING IN WITH A LOT OF EXCESS SPD AND HAD TO BLEED IT OFF IN GND EFFECT STILL WITHOUT FLAPS. I LANDED SAFELY AND HAD COME TO A STOP AT EXIT 'JULIET' 2/3 OF THE 10000 PLUS FT RWY HAD BEEN USED UP! ATC APPARENTLY NEVER BECAME FULLY AWARE OF MY SITUATION AND NO QUESTIONS WERE ASKED. AFTER I SECURED THE ACFT, I TALKED TO THE INSTRUCTOR WHO HAD CHKED ME OUT AND TOLD HIM OF MY FLT. HE SAID HE DIDN'T REALIZE, HIMSELF, THAT THE PLANE HAD NO GS. HAVING ONLY BEEN WITH THIS FBO FOR ONLY ABOUT 4 WKS. I TOLD NO ONE ELSE BUT 2 CLOSE FRIENDS AND THEY AGREED THAT I SHOULD FILL OUT A NASA RPT TO PROTECT MYSELF. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS, I FEEL, CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT. HAVING FLOWN BETTER EQUIPPED AIRPLANES IN SAN DIEGO LED ME TO BELIEVE THIS PLANE WOULD HAVE A GS INDICATOR EVEN IF THERE WAS ONLY 1 NAV (FAIRLY NEW NARLO RADIOS). ANXIOUS TO STAY PROFICIENT LED ME TO BE NEGLIGENT OF FAR 91.205 (D) (2) '2-WAY RADIO COMS SYS AND NAVIGATIONAL EQUIP APPROPRIATE TO GND FACILITIES TO BE USED.' FAILURE OF CFI CONDUCTING CHK OUT TO BRING MY ATTN TO THE LIMITED NAV CAPABILITIES OF THIS ACFT. LESSONS LEARNED: DON'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED! DON'T BE IN A HURRY. I WAS VERY LUCKY!

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.