Narrative:

A twin cessna on the VOR 6 approach, in solid IFR conditions, reported overshooting the approach. The aircraft was cleared to land, but was not insight. The aircraft (C421) was spotted mid runway at lower level, approximately 75 ft. The pilot then informed the local controller that he would be making a left turn and circle back to land. The local controller informed the pilot that there are hills in that direction, and suggested the pilot turn right. The pilot claimed to have the runway insight and made a left turn into the clouds, out of sight of the tower. The pilot began flying at below 150 ft AGL around the airport for about 1 min and finally decided to execute a missed approach. Circling minimums at napa are 600 ft and landing minimums for a straight in runway 6 are 420 ft. The pilot displayed incredibly bad judgement flying low level over the terminal building, a restaurant, chp building and several hangars. The tower received several complaints from the chp, and others on the field at the time of this occurrence. The WX at this time was indefinite 200 ft sky obscured 3/4 mi visibility. This situation could have been avoided if the pilot was more familiar with the approach, especially the landing minimums. The controller also could have helped by telling the pilot to execute the missed approach when informed that the pilot overshot the approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C421 MADE VOR APCH BELOW APCH MINIMA THEN CIRCLED TO LAND AND MADE MISSED APCH.

Narrative: A TWIN CESSNA ON THE VOR 6 APCH, IN SOLID IFR CONDITIONS, RPTED OVERSHOOTING THE APCH. THE ACFT WAS CLRED TO LAND, BUT WAS NOT INSIGHT. THE ACFT (C421) WAS SPOTTED MID RWY AT LOWER LEVEL, APPROX 75 FT. THE PLT THEN INFORMED THE LCL CTLR THAT HE WOULD BE MAKING A L TURN AND CIRCLE BACK TO LAND. THE LCL CTLR INFORMED THE PLT THAT THERE ARE HILLS IN THAT DIRECTION, AND SUGGESTED THE PLT TURN R. THE PLT CLAIMED TO HAVE THE RWY INSIGHT AND MADE A L TURN INTO THE CLOUDS, OUT OF SIGHT OF THE TWR. THE PLT BEGAN FLYING AT BELOW 150 FT AGL AROUND THE ARPT FOR ABOUT 1 MIN AND FINALLY DECIDED TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. CIRCLING MINIMUMS AT NAPA ARE 600 FT AND LNDG MINIMUMS FOR A STRAIGHT IN RWY 6 ARE 420 FT. THE PLT DISPLAYED INCREDIBLY BAD JUDGEMENT FLYING LOW LEVEL OVER THE TERMINAL BUILDING, A RESTAURANT, CHP BUILDING AND SEVERAL HANGARS. THE TWR RECEIVED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FROM THE CHP, AND OTHERS ON THE FIELD AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE. THE WX AT THIS TIME WAS INDEFINITE 200 FT SKY OBSCURED 3/4 MI VISIBILITY. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE PLT WAS MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE APCH, ESPECIALLY THE LNDG MINIMUMS. THE CTLR ALSO COULD HAVE HELPED BY TELLING THE PLT TO EXECUTE THE MISSED APCH WHEN INFORMED THAT THE PLT OVERSHOT THE APCH.

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.