Narrative:

This flight was not up to PAR due to poor communications between myself and ATC caused in large measure by instrument malfunction that caused distrs while I was making the ILS 10 approach to mry. The problems that arose probably did not violate any regulations but they showed that I let myself become distraction by unanticipated events. The first distraction arose when haze, clouds and a less than crystal clear windshield suggested that I return to mry by making the ILS 10 approach. My communications with ATC were sub-PAR on this flight, but the first problem with ATC may have been partly their fault. I asked for the ILS approach while above 5000 and was initially cleared to 3000 and told to switch to a different approach frequency. I was curious when the next controller told me to maintain 5000 but read that description back. Subsequently, he asked me why I wasn't descending to 3000! More significant problems in communications arose when I began the approach and noticed that the #1 and #2 localizer were not agreeing even though I was getting the current morse code on each and no flags were showing. I think I did the right thing by immediately climbing further above the clouds turning in the missed approach direction and heading for away from the airport in VFR conditions. I notified ATC immediately after beginning the climbing turn. ATC was very helpful in allowing me to check out the locs at 3000 ft which was above the clouds. When the problem could not be solved, and I told them that I had the airport in sight through scattered to broken clouds, they suggested that I descend through scattered clouds off the approach end of runway 28 and land VFR. During this operation they issued one traffic alert and told me that I did not switch to the tower soon enough. There was nothing I could do about the traffic, but distrs caused by the rapidly changing plans may have caused me to miss the instruction to contact the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS NAV EQUIP PROBLEM ON ILS APCH IN MIXED WX CONDITIONS. EXECUTES MAP.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS NOT UP TO PAR DUE TO POOR COMS BTWN MYSELF AND ATC CAUSED IN LARGE MEASURE BY INST MALFUNCTION THAT CAUSED DISTRS WHILE I WAS MAKING THE ILS 10 APCH TO MRY. THE PROBLEMS THAT AROSE PROBABLY DID NOT VIOLATE ANY REGS BUT THEY SHOWED THAT I LET MYSELF BECOME DISTR BY UNANTICIPATED EVENTS. THE FIRST DISTR AROSE WHEN HAZE, CLOUDS AND A LESS THAN CRYSTAL CLR WINDSHIELD SUGGESTED THAT I RETURN TO MRY BY MAKING THE ILS 10 APCH. MY COMS WITH ATC WERE SUB-PAR ON THIS FLT, BUT THE FIRST PROBLEM WITH ATC MAY HAVE BEEN PARTLY THEIR FAULT. I ASKED FOR THE ILS APCH WHILE ABOVE 5000 AND WAS INITIALLY CLRED TO 3000 AND TOLD TO SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT APCH FREQ. I WAS CURIOUS WHEN THE NEXT CTLR TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 5000 BUT READ THAT DESCRIPTION BACK. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE ASKED ME WHY I WASN'T DSNDING TO 3000! MORE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS IN COMS AROSE WHEN I BEGAN THE APCH AND NOTICED THAT THE #1 AND #2 LOC WERE NOT AGREEING EVEN THOUGH I WAS GETTING THE CURRENT MORSE CODE ON EACH AND NO FLAGS WERE SHOWING. I THINK I DID THE RIGHT THING BY IMMEDIATELY CLBING FURTHER ABOVE THE CLOUDS TURNING IN THE MISSED APCH DIRECTION AND HDG FOR AWAY FROM THE ARPT IN VFR CONDITIONS. I NOTIFIED ATC IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEGINNING THE CLBING TURN. ATC WAS VERY HELPFUL IN ALLOWING ME TO CHK OUT THE LOCS AT 3000 FT WHICH WAS ABOVE THE CLOUDS. WHEN THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE SOLVED, AND I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT THROUGH SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS, THEY SUGGESTED THAT I DSND THROUGH SCATTERED CLOUDS OFF THE APCH END OF RWY 28 AND LAND VFR. DURING THIS OP THEY ISSUED ONE TFC ALERT AND TOLD ME THAT I DID NOT SWITCH TO THE TWR SOON ENOUGH. THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO ABOUT THE TFC, BUT DISTRS CAUSED BY THE RAPIDLY CHANGING PLANS MAY HAVE CAUSED ME TO MISS THE INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT THE TWR.

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.