Narrative:

This approach was my second approach of the day. I had filed IFR crq to pom brackett field. My aircraft had been in shop for installation of air conditioner which required engine removal. On the VOR approach into pom, I noted much needle swing on VOR (1-2 mi out) and switched autoplt to heading. It was then VFR. Had departed IFR earlier. On return pom tower advised IFR delay and I made a VFR departure, contacted socal departure control and asked for IFR clearance to crq. I was advised to ask the next controller for the clearance. Palomar ATIS was reporting 1600 ft overcast, 7 mi visibility, 1300 ft AGL. ILS minimum 200 ft 1/2 mi. It was at the third controller before I got a clearance. I was vectored 20 mins or more and slowed to 120 KTS, 7500 ft down to 4000 ft. The controller was very impatient and would repeat my heading in a very few seconds, before I could set heading bug. I was experiencing severe bladder pain by then when I was given clearance to execute approach, it was by a different controller. I captured localizer signal and established a 500 FPM descent. I was passed over to tower and reported tops 3000 ft. About 1-2 mi out I noticed big swings in GS needles on both receivers. I kept my rate of descent then noticed localizer needle swings on both localizer receivers. I held a steady heading and I broke out at 1600 ft, high and 1/4 plus mi right of runway. There was considerable VFR traffic on tower frequency and I thought I had heard tower call me just before I broke out. I called tower, reported position but got no response. I cleared traffic made VFR left turn and entered wide downwind leg. Being tired, having bladder pain and possible electrical problem, I asked tower for landing clearance while VFR. His response was -- he handed me off to socal approach 5 mins ago. I landed and was asked to call approach control after departing aircraft. I did, talked to a controller and he said he would pass on my information to manager. I heard no more. I flew the approach again today while VFR and had the same needle swings. I called a missed approach, flew a localizer approach into lindberg with no problem. When I returned to palomar where air conditioner was installed I squawked the localizer and GS receivers. It is in shop now. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that on his callback to approach nobody seemed to know what had happened. After some discussion they dropped the matter and reporter has heard nothing further. The shop did 3 test flts and was unable to duplicate the problem. Subsequent flts have shown no recurrence of the equipment problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TWIN HAD LOC AND GS PROBS ON APCH. ENTERED STANDARD PATTERN WHEN VFR AND TWR SAID HE HANDED HIM BACK TO APCH CTL.

Narrative: THIS APCH WAS MY SECOND APCH OF THE DAY. I HAD FILED IFR CRQ TO POM BRACKETT FIELD. MY ACFT HAD BEEN IN SHOP FOR INSTALLATION OF AIR CONDITIONER WHICH REQUIRED ENG REMOVAL. ON THE VOR APCH INTO POM, I NOTED MUCH NEEDLE SWING ON VOR (1-2 MI OUT) AND SWITCHED AUTOPLT TO HDG. IT WAS THEN VFR. HAD DEPARTED IFR EARLIER. ON RETURN POM TWR ADVISED IFR DELAY AND I MADE A VFR DEP, CONTACTED SOCAL DEP CTL AND ASKED FOR IFR CLRNC TO CRQ. I WAS ADVISED TO ASK THE NEXT CTLR FOR THE CLRNC. PALOMAR ATIS WAS RPTING 1600 FT OVCST, 7 MI VISIBILITY, 1300 FT AGL. ILS MINIMUM 200 FT 1/2 MI. IT WAS AT THE THIRD CTLR BEFORE I GOT A CLRNC. I WAS VECTORED 20 MINS OR MORE AND SLOWED TO 120 KTS, 7500 FT DOWN TO 4000 FT. THE CTLR WAS VERY IMPATIENT AND WOULD REPEAT MY HDG IN A VERY FEW SECONDS, BEFORE I COULD SET HDG BUG. I WAS EXPERIENCING SEVERE BLADDER PAIN BY THEN WHEN I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO EXECUTE APCH, IT WAS BY A DIFFERENT CTLR. I CAPTURED LOC SIGNAL AND ESTABLISHED A 500 FPM DSCNT. I WAS PASSED OVER TO TWR AND RPTED TOPS 3000 FT. ABOUT 1-2 MI OUT I NOTICED BIG SWINGS IN GS NEEDLES ON BOTH RECEIVERS. I KEPT MY RATE OF DSCNT THEN NOTICED LOC NEEDLE SWINGS ON BOTH LOC RECEIVERS. I HELD A STEADY HDG AND I BROKE OUT AT 1600 FT, HIGH AND 1/4 PLUS MI R OF RWY. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE VFR TFC ON TWR FREQ AND I THOUGHT I HAD HEARD TWR CALL ME JUST BEFORE I BROKE OUT. I CALLED TWR, RPTED POS BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I CLRED TFC MADE VFR L TURN AND ENTERED WIDE DOWNWIND LEG. BEING TIRED, HAVING BLADDER PAIN AND POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROB, I ASKED TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC WHILE VFR. HIS RESPONSE WAS -- HE HANDED ME OFF TO SOCAL APCH 5 MINS AGO. I LANDED AND WAS ASKED TO CALL APCH CTL AFTER DEPARTING ACFT. I DID, TALKED TO A CTLR AND HE SAID HE WOULD PASS ON MY INFO TO MGR. I HEARD NO MORE. I FLEW THE APCH AGAIN TODAY WHILE VFR AND HAD THE SAME NEEDLE SWINGS. I CALLED A MISSED APCH, FLEW A LOC APCH INTO LINDBERG WITH NO PROB. WHEN I RETURNED TO PALOMAR WHERE AIR CONDITIONER WAS INSTALLED I SQUAWKED THE LOC AND GS RECEIVERS. IT IS IN SHOP NOW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT ON HIS CALLBACK TO APCH NOBODY SEEMED TO KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION THEY DROPPED THE MATTER AND RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER. THE SHOP DID 3 TEST FLTS AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROB. SUBSEQUENT FLTS HAVE SHOWN NO RECURRENCE OF THE EQUIP PROB.

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.