Narrative:

The sun was exceptionally bright en route above and around swelling cumulus which also reflected the sun. With the clouds building up, I requested 9000 ft, which I received. I have a radio with a ced readout which the reflection and sun made it impossible to read the frequencys to change them. The controller said he was familiar with the problem. He arranged with ind approach control to get on my frequency when I got closer. I was circumnaving most of the stronger buildups and in getting closer to ind, I requested 5000 ft. During a moderate rain cloud I was able to read the frequencys so changed to 119.05 for ind approach. While being vectored I was again having trouble reading the led readout, was in rough air that gave me a ride at times of up or down 300-500 ft and steep banks which put me off of the heading at times of 20-30 ft to which I corrected as prudently and timely as possible. After some time, the controller gave me a heading back from the north. He did not give me a direction of turn, I am very sure. I turned to the left. Sometime thereafter he mentioned he thought I would turn to the right. When I was being vectored to final my localizer needle was closing the gap and I was established on the approach. I was asked what frequency I was on and it looked like it was off on the last number, there again being a problem with clear seeing of the readout. I was well established on the localizer at that time and changed frequency. After a time, the GS was not reacting. Final descent showed me directly lined up with runway 23R. The FBO said he had a message for me to call approach control, which I did. I was told that this gentleman was sitting by the controller and that I did not turn right as directed, that they had to change course of 2 jets because I turned left instead of right, that my altitude varied some 500 ft and heading varied also. I told him I was in very rough air, I was unable to get a readout on the frequencys on the radio because of the sun and reflection on it, both in and out of clouds. I asked him if he planned to file a violation. He only said he was going to review the tapes. While this was not the most pleasant or comfortable trip I have ever taken, I did not feel at any time that things were not in complete control or that my safety or that of any other people, planes or property were in jeopardy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT ENRTE FOR APCH TO ARPT ENCOUNTERED WX. RPTR PLT WAS CIRCUMNAVING AND HAD DIFFICULTY READING THE DIGITAL FREQ NUMBERS. RPTR PLT ENCOUNTERED RAIN AND ROUGH AIR RESULTING IN DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ALT AND HDG INCLUDING HOLDING HDG AND COURSE ON THE ILS. BECAUSE RPTR TURNED THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF INSTRUCTIONS, 2 ACFT HDGS HAD TO BE CHANGED.

Narrative: THE SUN WAS EXCEPTIONALLY BRIGHT ENRTE ABOVE AND AROUND SWELLING CUMULUS WHICH ALSO REFLECTED THE SUN. WITH THE CLOUDS BUILDING UP, I REQUESTED 9000 FT, WHICH I RECEIVED. I HAVE A RADIO WITH A CED READOUT WHICH THE REFLECTION AND SUN MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE FREQS TO CHANGE THEM. THE CTLR SAID HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROB. HE ARRANGED WITH IND APCH CTL TO GET ON MY FREQ WHEN I GOT CLOSER. I WAS CIRCUMNAVING MOST OF THE STRONGER BUILDUPS AND IN GETTING CLOSER TO IND, I REQUESTED 5000 FT. DURING A MODERATE RAIN CLOUD I WAS ABLE TO READ THE FREQS SO CHANGED TO 119.05 FOR IND APCH. WHILE BEING VECTORED I WAS AGAIN HAVING TROUBLE READING THE LED READOUT, WAS IN ROUGH AIR THAT GAVE ME A RIDE AT TIMES OF UP OR DOWN 300-500 FT AND STEEP BANKS WHICH PUT ME OFF OF THE HDG AT TIMES OF 20-30 FT TO WHICH I CORRECTED AS PRUDENTLY AND TIMELY AS POSSIBLE. AFTER SOME TIME, THE CTLR GAVE ME A HDG BACK FROM THE N. HE DID NOT GIVE ME A DIRECTION OF TURN, I AM VERY SURE. I TURNED TO THE L. SOMETIME THEREAFTER HE MENTIONED HE THOUGHT I WOULD TURN TO THE R. WHEN I WAS BEING VECTORED TO FINAL MY LOC NEEDLE WAS CLOSING THE GAP AND I WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE APCH. I WAS ASKED WHAT FREQ I WAS ON AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS OFF ON THE LAST NUMBER, THERE AGAIN BEING A PROB WITH CLR SEEING OF THE READOUT. I WAS WELL ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AT THAT TIME AND CHANGED FREQ. AFTER A TIME, THE GS WAS NOT REACTING. FINAL DSCNT SHOWED ME DIRECTLY LINED UP WITH RWY 23R. THE FBO SAID HE HAD A MESSAGE FOR ME TO CALL APCH CTL, WHICH I DID. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS GENTLEMAN WAS SITTING BY THE CTLR AND THAT I DID NOT TURN R AS DIRECTED, THAT THEY HAD TO CHANGE COURSE OF 2 JETS BECAUSE I TURNED L INSTEAD OF R, THAT MY ALT VARIED SOME 500 FT AND HDG VARIED ALSO. I TOLD HIM I WAS IN VERY ROUGH AIR, I WAS UNABLE TO GET A READOUT ON THE FREQS ON THE RADIO BECAUSE OF THE SUN AND REFLECTION ON IT, BOTH IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS. I ASKED HIM IF HE PLANNED TO FILE A VIOLATION. HE ONLY SAID HE WAS GOING TO REVIEW THE TAPES. WHILE THIS WAS NOT THE MOST PLEASANT OR COMFORTABLE TRIP I HAVE EVER TAKEN, I DID NOT FEEL AT ANY TIME THAT THINGS WERE NOT IN COMPLETE CTL OR THAT MY SAFETY OR THAT OF ANY OTHER PEOPLE, PLANES OR PROPERTY WERE IN JEOPARDY.

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.