Narrative:

After more than 2 hours of hard IFR after leaving roc, ny, on an IFR flight plan to B20, me, I learned the filed alternate, con, nh, had gone below mins. I was given vectors to the NDB approach to B20, made an approach to the miss, with some great difficulty, due to winds in the 60-70 KT range, and not being able to complete the approach to a landing, then asked the controller who was working the flight for help getting to the nearest airport with high enough ceiling to effect a landing. He informed that probably lewiston was the most likely. I started searching my approach plates for a plate under that name, and failing that, asked the controller who was then working the flight for the frequencies for that airport's localizer and locator OM. Later, I was asked why I had not been in possession of the approach plate for auburn- lewiston, and I had to admit that I had been looking for the plate alphabetically under lewiston. During the continuing IFR flight to lew from B20, I was being vectored by the controller who was doing a good job of trying to help. Sometime after having been given turns to intercept the localizer for the ILS runway 4 approach, I began the checklist for the approach was in the process of lowering the landing gear, partial flaps and setting the power and propeller for the proper descent numbers. At this time, entered severe turbulence, which caused momentary great loss of altitude, probably considerably below the GS. Within moments was able to regain the GS by adding power, and within a short period of time was able to complete the landing. Upon entering the FBO office, someone from portland was on the phone, and spent several mins getting my personal information, and giving me quite a lecture. I did not quarrel with him. However, upon reflection, I would like to have been able to give him my side of the story. As a learning experience for me, it was intense, and I feel will be an object lesson in just not going as far as I had come that day even though the WX briefings I had gotten did not indicate that the ceilings would lower to the surface as I approached this area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HIGH TIME PRIVATE PLT FROM OUT OF TOWN GOT MIXED UP WITH SOME BELOW MINS WX AND CAUSED A LITTLE BIT OF AN ATC PROBLEM.

Narrative: AFTER MORE THAN 2 HRS OF HARD IFR AFTER LEAVING ROC, NY, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO B20, ME, I LEARNED THE FILED ALTERNATE, CON, NH, HAD GONE BELOW MINS. I WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO THE NDB APCH TO B20, MADE AN APCH TO THE MISS, WITH SOME GREAT DIFFICULTY, DUE TO WINDS IN THE 60-70 KT RANGE, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE THE APCH TO A LNDG, THEN ASKED THE CTLR WHO WAS WORKING THE FLT FOR HELP GETTING TO THE NEAREST ARPT WITH HIGH ENOUGH CEILING TO EFFECT A LNDG. HE INFORMED THAT PROBABLY LEWISTON WAS THE MOST LIKELY. I STARTED SEARCHING MY APCH PLATES FOR A PLATE UNDER THAT NAME, AND FAILING THAT, ASKED THE CTLR WHO WAS THEN WORKING THE FLT FOR THE FREQUENCIES FOR THAT ARPT'S LOC AND LOCATOR OM. LATER, I WAS ASKED WHY I HAD NOT BEEN IN POSSESSION OF THE APCH PLATE FOR AUBURN- LEWISTON, AND I HAD TO ADMIT THAT I HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR THE PLATE ALPHABETICALLY UNDER LEWISTON. DURING THE CONTINUING IFR FLT TO LEW FROM B20, I WAS BEING VECTORED BY THE CTLR WHO WAS DOING A GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO HELP. SOMETIME AFTER HAVING BEEN GIVEN TURNS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR THE ILS RWY 4 APCH, I BEGAN THE CHKLIST FOR THE APCH WAS IN THE PROCESS OF LOWERING THE LNDG GEAR, PARTIAL FLAPS AND SETTING THE PWR AND PROP FOR THE PROPER DSCNT NUMBERS. AT THIS TIME, ENTERED SEVERE TURB, WHICH CAUSED MOMENTARY GREAT LOSS OF ALT, PROBABLY CONSIDERABLY BELOW THE GS. WITHIN MOMENTS WAS ABLE TO REGAIN THE GS BY ADDING PWR, AND WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE LNDG. UPON ENTERING THE FBO OFFICE, SOMEONE FROM PORTLAND WAS ON THE PHONE, AND SPENT SEVERAL MINS GETTING MY PERSONAL INFO, AND GIVING ME QUITE A LECTURE. I DID NOT QUARREL WITH HIM. HOWEVER, UPON REFLECTION, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE HIM MY SIDE OF THE STORY. AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME, IT WAS INTENSE, AND I FEEL WILL BE AN OBJECT LESSON IN JUST NOT GOING AS FAR AS I HAD COME THAT DAY EVEN THOUGH THE WX BRIEFINGS I HAD GOTTEN DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE CEILINGS WOULD LOWER TO THE SURFACE AS I APCHED THIS AREA.

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.