Narrative:

I and another pilot had left gaithersburg in an small aircraft and flew to allegheny county airport (agc), to pick up a cancer patient and her husband. We were a 'lifeguard' flight for the trip from agc to clt. We alternated PIC time. I was PIC from gai to agc and then later on the return trip from clt to gai. (The other pilot was PIC from agc to clt.) the baltimore controller suggested we fly to frederick (fdk) for the VOR 14 approach into gai. We could see gaithersburg and felt confident we could make a visual approach into gai. The controller cleared us for the visual and instructed us to switch to local frequency. But, he did not tell us that radar service was terminated and to squawk 1200. Low level fog/scud had settled in nicely right over the runway. We could see the field when looking straight down but lost it in the glide angle. At this point we should have contacted the controller and declared a missed approach. We did not do this. Instead we made 2 more feeble attempts to get into gai. When we did not contact the controller, he contacted a passing plane and asked the pilot to try and contact us. The pilot thought we may be trying to work the runway lights and called us on 122.85 MHZ. The pilot asked us if we had received the AWOS information. I replied that we had not because the signal kept breaking up. He informed us that gai was below mins and that we would not be able to get in. He also told us that the baltimore controller had been trying to contact us. We called the controller who, after chiding us for not having flown the VOR 14 approach, asked our intentions. We suggested flying the ILS 23 approach into fdk. He said that if we went to fdk he may lose us on his radar. In turn he suggested that we fly the ILS 33L approach into bwi. We took his suggestion and landed at bwi without incident. Some comments: I realize that when cleared for an approach the pilot has but 1 chance at the brass ring. When a miss occurs on an instrument approach (ILS, VOR, NDB), the declaration of that missed approach is clearly mandated and for most pilots, myself included, automatic. We were above the fog/scud throughout the 3 feeble visual attempts. It did not occur to me to declare a missed approach because we were not in any danger. I was aware that I was still squawking my discrete transponder code. I wanted to remain identifiable to the controller until I was on the ground. While I was in no immediate danger, I failed to consider that I was perhaps delaying the controller in dealing with other incoming aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTHORIZED HDG TRACK CHANGE IN A NON COMPLIANCE ADHERENCE TO ATC PROC INSTRUCTION CLRNC.

Narrative: I AND ANOTHER PLT HAD LEFT GAITHERSBURG IN AN SMA AND FLEW TO ALLEGHENY COUNTY ARPT (AGC), TO PICK UP A CANCER PATIENT AND HER HUSBAND. WE WERE A 'LIFEGUARD' FLT FOR THE TRIP FROM AGC TO CLT. WE ALTERNATED PIC TIME. I WAS PIC FROM GAI TO AGC AND THEN LATER ON THE RETURN TRIP FROM CLT TO GAI. (THE OTHER PLT WAS PIC FROM AGC TO CLT.) THE BALTIMORE CTLR SUGGESTED WE FLY TO FREDERICK (FDK) FOR THE VOR 14 APCH INTO GAI. WE COULD SEE GAITHERSBURG AND FELT CONFIDENT WE COULD MAKE A VISUAL APCH INTO GAI. THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL AND INSTRUCTED US TO SWITCH TO LCL FREQ. BUT, HE DID NOT TELL US THAT RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED AND TO SQUAWK 1200. LOW LEVEL FOG/SCUD HAD SETTLED IN NICELY RIGHT OVER THE RWY. WE COULD SEE THE FIELD WHEN LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN BUT LOST IT IN THE GLIDE ANGLE. AT THIS POINT WE SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED THE CTLR AND DECLARED A MISSED APCH. WE DID NOT DO THIS. INSTEAD WE MADE 2 MORE FEEBLE ATTEMPTS TO GET INTO GAI. WHEN WE DID NOT CONTACT THE CTLR, HE CONTACTED A PASSING PLANE AND ASKED THE PLT TO TRY AND CONTACT US. THE PLT THOUGHT WE MAY BE TRYING TO WORK THE RWY LIGHTS AND CALLED US ON 122.85 MHZ. THE PLT ASKED US IF WE HAD RECEIVED THE AWOS INFO. I REPLIED THAT WE HAD NOT BECAUSE THE SIGNAL KEPT BREAKING UP. HE INFORMED US THAT GAI WAS BELOW MINS AND THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET IN. HE ALSO TOLD US THAT THE BALTIMORE CTLR HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US. WE CALLED THE CTLR WHO, AFTER CHIDING US FOR NOT HAVING FLOWN THE VOR 14 APCH, ASKED OUR INTENTIONS. WE SUGGESTED FLYING THE ILS 23 APCH INTO FDK. HE SAID THAT IF WE WENT TO FDK HE MAY LOSE US ON HIS RADAR. IN TURN HE SUGGESTED THAT WE FLY THE ILS 33L APCH INTO BWI. WE TOOK HIS SUGGESTION AND LANDED AT BWI WITHOUT INCIDENT. SOME COMMENTS: I REALIZE THAT WHEN CLRED FOR AN APCH THE PLT HAS BUT 1 CHANCE AT THE BRASS RING. WHEN A MISS OCCURS ON AN INST APCH (ILS, VOR, NDB), THE DECLARATION OF THAT MISSED APCH IS CLRLY MANDATED AND FOR MOST PLTS, MYSELF INCLUDED, AUTOMATIC. WE WERE ABOVE THE FOG/SCUD THROUGHOUT THE 3 FEEBLE VISUAL ATTEMPTS. IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME TO DECLARE A MISSED APCH BECAUSE WE WERE NOT IN ANY DANGER. I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS STILL SQUAWKING MY DISCRETE TRANSPONDER CODE. I WANTED TO REMAIN IDENTIFIABLE TO THE CTLR UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND. WHILE I WAS IN NO IMMEDIATE DANGER, I FAILED TO CONSIDER THAT I WAS PERHAPS DELAYING THE CTLR IN DEALING WITH OTHER INCOMING ACFT.

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.