Narrative:

Soon after departure from atlanta, GA, I experienced a failure of the autoplt and flight director system. Flying single pilot and by hand, I was issued several amended clrncs and asked for and received several deviations around WX cells. I ended up deviating as far east as huntington, wv. Upon arrival in the lima area, I was informed that the ceiling was down to approximately 200 ft by the operator of the unicom at lima. When I was about 15 mi out I notified center that I was not receiving any ILS information on either #1 or #2 navigation system. He checked and said there was no NOTAM and it must be operational. At this time, I switched to the VOR approach and I contacted the unicom operator to see what his equipment showed the status of the ILS to be. He said he would, 'go FLIP the switch.' he later came back on frequency and stated he was unable to get the ILS up and running. This confused me to why a lineman even had control over such an important system and why a NOTAM was not filed to indicate its status. During this time, I shot and missed my first VOR approach. I informed center that I missed and wanted to try again. As I turned back towards the VOR, he informed me that he showed no traffic in the area and that he would not pick me up on radar until I reached about 4000 ft. I returned to the VOR and shot the second VOR approach and missed. I informed center that I would like to try to get into finlay, oh. I started a climb so he could radar identify me and assign a heading. At about 3500 ft he assigned an altitude of 3000 ft. I told him I was at 4000 ft at which time he informed me that there was an aircraft holding at the VOR at 4000 ft. I immediately returned to 3000 ft and continued to columbus, oh, and landed. Even though I was not in the vicinity of the VOR where the other aircraft was holding, I was asked to phone center's quality assurance section once I was on the ground. When I called he informed me that I was possibly invading the airspace of the other aircraft and he would have to investigate. The factors I feel that may have affected this situation were: 1) I was not alerted when the second aircraft entered into the area which led me to believe that center's previous statement of 'no traffic in the area' was still true. 2) miscom over status of ILS and missing NOTAM. 3) long IFR flight hand flown prior to approach with numerous WX deviations. 4) fuel was just beginning to become a factor in my mind. I was mentally calculating how much I had left and how far I could safely go to find better conditions for landing during the last missed approach. 5) the owner was scheduled to be in a meeting within 30 mins. 6) there was a VFR layer around 4000 ft and that's where radar coverage started. Since the ceilings were lower than forecasted I was concerned about my alternate airport WX and where I would go if its WX was too low. I was anxious to receive this information and get going in that direction to conserve fuel reserves and get the owner on his way to his meeting. 7) there was a small area of WX south of the field which made a right turn after missed approach more desirable. I believe I was at fault in that I did not fly the published missed approach. However, I did so thinking that center had cleared me earlier to deviate as needed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was eventually contacted by an FAA investigator and that there has been no further contact regarding this matter. He was operating a piper navajo, PA31. When discussing this matter with the ATC quality assurance officer, ATC believed that there may have been a loss of separation but not sure since he was not yet re-established on their radar. He believed that he must have almost reached 4000 ft before descending to 3000 ft as assigned and that he was between 7-10 mi from the other aircraft based on his distance from the VOR at the time of his assignment. Further he did not follow the published approach since he was assigned a right turn to 4000 ft after the first missed approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT TWIN CREATED AN AIRBORNE CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT HOLDING FOR HIM TO COMPLETE HIS APCH.

Narrative: SOON AFTER DEP FROM ATLANTA, GA, I EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE AUTOPLT AND FLT DIRECTOR SYS. FLYING SINGLE PLT AND BY HAND, I WAS ISSUED SEVERAL AMENDED CLRNCS AND ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED SEVERAL DEVS AROUND WX CELLS. I ENDED UP DEVIATING AS FAR E AS HUNTINGTON, WV. UPON ARR IN THE LIMA AREA, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CEILING WAS DOWN TO APPROX 200 FT BY THE OPERATOR OF THE UNICOM AT LIMA. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 15 MI OUT I NOTIFIED CTR THAT I WAS NOT RECEIVING ANY ILS INFO ON EITHER #1 OR #2 NAV SYS. HE CHKED AND SAID THERE WAS NO NOTAM AND IT MUST BE OPERATIONAL. AT THIS TIME, I SWITCHED TO THE VOR APCH AND I CONTACTED THE UNICOM OPERATOR TO SEE WHAT HIS EQUIP SHOWED THE STATUS OF THE ILS TO BE. HE SAID HE WOULD, 'GO FLIP THE SWITCH.' HE LATER CAME BACK ON FREQ AND STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE ILS UP AND RUNNING. THIS CONFUSED ME TO WHY A LINEMAN EVEN HAD CTL OVER SUCH AN IMPORTANT SYS AND WHY A NOTAM WAS NOT FILED TO INDICATE ITS STATUS. DURING THIS TIME, I SHOT AND MISSED MY FIRST VOR APCH. I INFORMED CTR THAT I MISSED AND WANTED TO TRY AGAIN. AS I TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE VOR, HE INFORMED ME THAT HE SHOWED NO TFC IN THE AREA AND THAT HE WOULD NOT PICK ME UP ON RADAR UNTIL I REACHED ABOUT 4000 FT. I RETURNED TO THE VOR AND SHOT THE SECOND VOR APCH AND MISSED. I INFORMED CTR THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO GET INTO FINLAY, OH. I STARTED A CLB SO HE COULD RADAR IDENT ME AND ASSIGN A HDG. AT ABOUT 3500 FT HE ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 3000 FT. I TOLD HIM I WAS AT 4000 FT AT WHICH TIME HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT HOLDING AT THE VOR AT 4000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 3000 FT AND CONTINUED TO COLUMBUS, OH, AND LANDED. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT IN THE VICINITY OF THE VOR WHERE THE OTHER ACFT WAS HOLDING, I WAS ASKED TO PHONE CTR'S QUALITY ASSURANCE SECTION ONCE I WAS ON THE GND. WHEN I CALLED HE INFORMED ME THAT I WAS POSSIBLY INVADING THE AIRSPACE OF THE OTHER ACFT AND HE WOULD HAVE TO INVESTIGATE. THE FACTORS I FEEL THAT MAY HAVE AFFECTED THIS SIT WERE: 1) I WAS NOT ALERTED WHEN THE SECOND ACFT ENTERED INTO THE AREA WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT CTR'S PREVIOUS STATEMENT OF 'NO TFC IN THE AREA' WAS STILL TRUE. 2) MISCOM OVER STATUS OF ILS AND MISSING NOTAM. 3) LONG IFR FLT HAND FLOWN PRIOR TO APCH WITH NUMEROUS WX DEVS. 4) FUEL WAS JUST BEGINNING TO BECOME A FACTOR IN MY MIND. I WAS MENTALLY CALCULATING HOW MUCH I HAD LEFT AND HOW FAR I COULD SAFELY GO TO FIND BETTER CONDITIONS FOR LNDG DURING THE LAST MISSED APCH. 5) THE OWNER WAS SCHEDULED TO BE IN A MEETING WITHIN 30 MINS. 6) THERE WAS A VFR LAYER AROUND 4000 FT AND THAT'S WHERE RADAR COVERAGE STARTED. SINCE THE CEILINGS WERE LOWER THAN FORECASTED I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MY ALTERNATE ARPT WX AND WHERE I WOULD GO IF ITS WX WAS TOO LOW. I WAS ANXIOUS TO RECEIVE THIS INFO AND GET GOING IN THAT DIRECTION TO CONSERVE FUEL RESERVES AND GET THE OWNER ON HIS WAY TO HIS MEETING. 7) THERE WAS A SMALL AREA OF WX S OF THE FIELD WHICH MADE A R TURN AFTER MISSED APCH MORE DESIRABLE. I BELIEVE I WAS AT FAULT IN THAT I DID NOT FLY THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH. HOWEVER, I DID SO THINKING THAT CTR HAD CLRED ME EARLIER TO DEVIATE AS NEEDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS EVENTUALLY CONTACTED BY AN FAA INVESTIGATOR AND THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER CONTACT REGARDING THIS MATTER. HE WAS OPERATING A PIPER NAVAJO, PA31. WHEN DISCUSSING THIS MATTER WITH THE ATC QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICER, ATC BELIEVED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LOSS OF SEPARATION BUT NOT SURE SINCE HE WAS NOT YET RE-ESTABLISHED ON THEIR RADAR. HE BELIEVED THAT HE MUST HAVE ALMOST REACHED 4000 FT BEFORE DSNDING TO 3000 FT AS ASSIGNED AND THAT HE WAS BTWN 7-10 MI FROM THE OTHER ACFT BASED ON HIS DISTANCE FROM THE VOR AT THE TIME OF HIS ASSIGNMENT. FURTHER HE DID NOT FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED APCH SINCE HE WAS ASSIGNED A R TURN TO 4000 FT AFTER THE FIRST MISSED 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.