Narrative:

Upon arrival at bmi airport, I noticed the beacon was not activated, although ceilings looked to be less than 3000 ft. ATIS confirmed 3000 ft and 3 mi. ATC cleared me for a pleasure flight over bloomington but requested to stay south of localizer. My thought was to stay south and southwest of airport, because I was unsure where localizer was. Later, approximately 5 - 5 1/2 mi southwest of airport, I felt ceiling was lower and visibility was definitely diminishing. I requested a 180 degree left turn (from my 260 degree heading) back to airport for landing. Tower directed I make a right base runway 11. I confirmed that I was to turn north for a right base to runway 11? The directive was repeated. I made right turn to northeast and could not see or spot the airport. I realized I was too far north. Having tuned VOR to 110 degrees (VOR is on field and at southwest intersection of runway 11/29 and 030/22 needle was still to the left). I spotted runway 11 and mentally confirmed I was northwest of it. Tower called reminding me of his directive and advising a turn to south immediately. I did. As soon as I did, I saw a scheduled carrier commuter twin propeller coming in easterly direction. I related information to tower with my judgement to turn northeast to stay clear. Tower responded standing on his directive to continue south. I did. Seconds later, I realized he was much further behind me than I first thought. I continued south until cleared for landing runway 11. Having planned 2 flts, I took second flight. Tower again said to clear control zone to south. As I went out to southwest I made mental note to clear control zone at southwest quadrant. Visibility being the same out there, I requested a turn to 300 degrees, then inbound to land. Request was approved and I flew northeast to diamond STAR motors (approximately 5 mi wnw of bmi). Looking for runway 11 as I turned inbound, I spotted airport, set up approach, and landed. I went in and talked to tower operator who informed me peoria radar claimed I never actually cleared control zone, on second flight. I listened intently, then explained my inability to spot runway as one possibility for my actions. He said commuter's TCASII went off and plane executed left 360 degree turn before landing. Captain would fill out a report. Tower said he did not have NASA form for me, and he did not put this situation into the 'logs.' my perception of my position was obviously not clear to me even though I attempted to use VOR, scanning techniques, and ground positioning of landmarks to place where airport should be located. The min or 2 that I used was enough (coupled with tailwind) was too much time. My judgement early on, even now thinking about it, to have made a left turn and set up for a left base to runway 11 may have avoided this situation. Certainly the decision not to fly at all would've been a sure cure. Deciding to follow ATC 'north' request raised no question of intersecting traffic being so close, in my mind. While my actions of 'hunting' for the airport contributed to my workload, the confusion of my inability to place my own position only made matters worse. I cannot overlook the fact that while my passenger wondered 'what was tower's problem,' I was not providing the level of comfort and safety that I have come to pride myself as a record of such. While WX was a factor in this situation, the lack of a small piece of knowledge loomed significant also. Asking where localizer is located may have felt embarrassing or uncomfortable, it may have been the piece I needed to present a clearer picture, thus eliminating at least some of the confusion. I have decided I will take instruction from a CFI in the next 2 weeks in any manner he/she prescribes to help me properly prepare for increased workloads when communicating with ATC, approach, departure in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON SIGHT SEEING FLT DOES NOT CLR CTL ZONE AND DOES NOT REMAIN CLR OF LOC.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT BMI ARPT, I NOTICED THE BEACON WAS NOT ACTIVATED, ALTHOUGH CEILINGS LOOKED TO BE LESS THAN 3000 FT. ATIS CONFIRMED 3000 FT AND 3 MI. ATC CLRED ME FOR A PLEASURE FLT OVER BLOOMINGTON BUT REQUESTED TO STAY S OF LOC. MY THOUGHT WAS TO STAY S AND SW OF ARPT, BECAUSE I WAS UNSURE WHERE LOC WAS. LATER, APPROX 5 - 5 1/2 MI SW OF ARPT, I FELT CEILING WAS LOWER AND VISIBILITY WAS DEFINITELY DIMINISHING. I REQUESTED A 180 DEG L TURN (FROM MY 260 DEG HDG) BACK TO ARPT FOR LNDG. TWR DIRECTED I MAKE A R BASE RWY 11. I CONFIRMED THAT I WAS TO TURN N FOR A R BASE TO RWY 11? THE DIRECTIVE WAS REPEATED. I MADE R TURN TO NE AND COULD NOT SEE OR SPOT THE ARPT. I REALIZED I WAS TOO FAR N. HAVING TUNED VOR TO 110 DEGS (VOR IS ON FIELD AND AT SW INTXN OF RWY 11/29 AND 030/22 NEEDLE WAS STILL TO THE L). I SPOTTED RWY 11 AND MENTALLY CONFIRMED I WAS NW OF IT. TWR CALLED REMINDING ME OF HIS DIRECTIVE AND ADVISING A TURN TO S IMMEDIATELY. I DID. AS SOON AS I DID, I SAW A SCHEDULED CARRIER COMMUTER TWIN PROP COMING IN EASTERLY DIRECTION. I RELATED INFO TO TWR WITH MY JUDGEMENT TO TURN NE TO STAY CLR. TWR RESPONDED STANDING ON HIS DIRECTIVE TO CONTINUE S. I DID. SECONDS LATER, I REALIZED HE WAS MUCH FURTHER BEHIND ME THAN I FIRST THOUGHT. I CONTINUED S UNTIL CLRED FOR LNDG RWY 11. HAVING PLANNED 2 FLTS, I TOOK SECOND FLT. TWR AGAIN SAID TO CLR CTL ZONE TO S. AS I WENT OUT TO SW I MADE MENTAL NOTE TO CLR CTL ZONE AT SW QUADRANT. VISIBILITY BEING THE SAME OUT THERE, I REQUESTED A TURN TO 300 DEGS, THEN INBOUND TO LAND. REQUEST WAS APPROVED AND I FLEW NE TO DIAMOND STAR MOTORS (APPROX 5 MI WNW OF BMI). LOOKING FOR RWY 11 AS I TURNED INBOUND, I SPOTTED ARPT, SET UP APCH, AND LANDED. I WENT IN AND TALKED TO TWR OPERATOR WHO INFORMED ME PEORIA RADAR CLAIMED I NEVER ACTUALLY CLRED CTL ZONE, ON SECOND FLT. I LISTENED INTENTLY, THEN EXPLAINED MY INABILITY TO SPOT RWY AS ONE POSSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS. HE SAID COMMUTER'S TCASII WENT OFF AND PLANE EXECUTED L 360 DEG TURN BEFORE LNDG. CAPT WOULD FILL OUT A RPT. TWR SAID HE DID NOT HAVE NASA FORM FOR ME, AND HE DID NOT PUT THIS SIT INTO THE 'LOGS.' MY PERCEPTION OF MY POS WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT CLR TO ME EVEN THOUGH I ATTEMPTED TO USE VOR, SCANNING TECHNIQUES, AND GND POSITIONING OF LANDMARKS TO PLACE WHERE ARPT SHOULD BE LOCATED. THE MIN OR 2 THAT I USED WAS ENOUGH (COUPLED WITH TAILWIND) WAS TOO MUCH TIME. MY JUDGEMENT EARLY ON, EVEN NOW THINKING ABOUT IT, TO HAVE MADE A L TURN AND SET UP FOR A L BASE TO RWY 11 MAY HAVE AVOIDED THIS SIT. CERTAINLY THE DECISION NOT TO FLY AT ALL WOULD'VE BEEN A SURE CURE. DECIDING TO FOLLOW ATC 'N' REQUEST RAISED NO QUESTION OF INTERSECTING TFC BEING SO CLOSE, IN MY MIND. WHILE MY ACTIONS OF 'HUNTING' FOR THE ARPT CONTRIBUTED TO MY WORKLOAD, THE CONFUSION OF MY INABILITY TO PLACE MY OWN POS ONLY MADE MATTERS WORSE. I CANNOT OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT WHILE MY PAX WONDERED 'WHAT WAS TWR'S PROB,' I WAS NOT PROVIDING THE LEVEL OF COMFORT AND SAFETY THAT I HAVE COME TO PRIDE MYSELF AS A RECORD OF SUCH. WHILE WX WAS A FACTOR IN THIS SIT, THE LACK OF A SMALL PIECE OF KNOWLEDGE LOOMED SIGNIFICANT ALSO. ASKING WHERE LOC IS LOCATED MAY HAVE FELT EMBARRASSING OR UNCOMFORTABLE, IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE PIECE I NEEDED TO PRESENT A CLEARER PICTURE, THUS ELIMINATING AT LEAST SOME OF THE CONFUSION. I HAVE DECIDED I WILL TAKE INSTRUCTION FROM A CFI IN THE NEXT 2 WKS IN ANY MANNER HE/SHE PRESCRIBES TO HELP ME PROPERLY PREPARE FOR INCREASED WORKLOADS WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH ATC, APCH, DEP IN THE FUTURE.

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.