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Commuter light transport cancels IFR when executing circle to land. Encounters IMC, does missed approach.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 233236 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199302 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sts |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 740 msl bound upper : 740 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : missed approach |
| Route In Use | approach : circling |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 3850 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 233236 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On approach into sonoma county airport in northern ca, we decided to shoot the ILS 32 and then circle to runway 14 as the winds were variable 110 at 8 to 140 at 4. WX at the airport at the time was based on an AWOS system and we were experiencing light to moderate chop with rain. AWOS reported 1300 scattered, 2200 broken, 7000 overcast and 10 mi visibility. With this good WX but with a tailwind to a short runway we elected to circle. We broke out at 1200 ft with visibility of 5 mi. At our circling minimums we circled west of the field on a right downwind (copilot flying). Based on having the airport in sight with the good AWOS report we cancelled our IFR clearance. 2/3 of the way around the pattern we inadvertently (night ragged ceiling) reentered IMC conditions with no option, but to go missed approach (sonoma county is at the end of a valley with rising terrain). We recontacted ZOA for another IFR clearance and informed them we were following the missed approach procedures. Moral of this story: don't cancel IFR on any circle to land unless absolutely necessary.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: COMMUTER LTT CANCELS IFR WHEN EXECUTING CIRCLE TO LAND. ENCOUNTERS IMC, DOES MISSED APCH.
Narrative: ON APCH INTO SONOMA COUNTY ARPT IN NORTHERN CA, WE DECIDED TO SHOOT THE ILS 32 AND THEN CIRCLE TO RWY 14 AS THE WINDS WERE VARIABLE 110 AT 8 TO 140 AT 4. WX AT THE ARPT AT THE TIME WAS BASED ON AN AWOS SYS AND WE WERE EXPERIENCING LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP WITH RAIN. AWOS RPTED 1300 SCATTERED, 2200 BROKEN, 7000 OVCST AND 10 MI VISIBILITY. WITH THIS GOOD WX BUT WITH A TAILWIND TO A SHORT RWY WE ELECTED TO CIRCLE. WE BROKE OUT AT 1200 FT WITH VISIBILITY OF 5 MI. AT OUR CIRCLING MINIMUMS WE CIRCLED W OF THE FIELD ON A R DOWNWIND (COPLT FLYING). BASED ON HAVING THE ARPT IN SIGHT WITH THE GOOD AWOS RPT WE CANCELLED OUR IFR CLRNC. 2/3 OF THE WAY AROUND THE PATTERN WE INADVERTENTLY (NIGHT RAGGED CEILING) REENTERED IMC CONDITIONS WITH NO OPTION, BUT TO GO MISSED APCH (SONOMA COUNTY IS AT THE END OF A VALLEY WITH RISING TERRAIN). WE RECONTACTED ZOA FOR ANOTHER IFR CLRNC AND INFORMED THEM WE WERE FOLLOWING THE MISSED APCH PROCS. MORAL OF THIS STORY: DON'T CANCEL IFR ON ANY CIRCLE TO LAND UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
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.