A C177RG pilot performs an early missed approach procedure at pae when he 'loses' the localizer. Pil...

Attributes
ACN	422628
Time
Date	199812
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pae
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cardinal 177/177RG
Route In Use	approach : straight in arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 206 flight time type : 23
ASRS Report	422628
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On pae runway 16R ILS approach, pae tower called to ask me to turn on my landing lights while I was IMC on the approach on GS and correcting to get centered on localizer at about 2200 ft MSL. The distraction of working the landing lights and trying to understand garbled xmissions from pae tower, as well as the extremely poor interior and instrument panel lighting in the 1976 C177RG caused me to get off localizer centerline so far as to 'peg' the CDI localizer needle. When that happened, I executed the published missed approach and notified pae tower, while I was 5 NM from pai and at 2000 ft, heading 250 degrees as per published missed approach. I informed pae tower and they asked what my missed approach instructions were, and I told them all I have is the published instructions. Pae tower did not reply and did not offer any other instructions. In about 60 seconds, pae tower asked me to contact ZSE on 128.5, which I did, and got vectors for a second, successful ILS runway 16R approach. Later I was asked to call pae tower on landline.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C177RG PLT PERFORMS AN EARLY MISSED APCH PROC AT PAE WHEN HE 'LOSES' THE LOC. PLT CITES HIS DISTR IN ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON HIS LNDG LIGHTS AS BEING CAUSAL.

Narrative: ON PAE RWY 16R ILS APCH, PAE TWR CALLED TO ASK ME TO TURN ON MY LNDG LIGHTS WHILE I WAS IMC ON THE APCH ON GS AND CORRECTING TO GET CTRED ON LOC AT ABOUT 2200 FT MSL. THE DISTR OF WORKING THE LNDG LIGHTS AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND GARBLED XMISSIONS FROM PAE TWR, AS WELL AS THE EXTREMELY POOR INTERIOR AND INST PANEL LIGHTING IN THE 1976 C177RG CAUSED ME TO GET OFF LOC CTRLINE SO FAR AS TO 'PEG' THE CDI LOC NEEDLE. WHEN THAT HAPPENED, I EXECUTED THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH AND NOTIFIED PAE TWR, WHILE I WAS 5 NM FROM PAI AND AT 2000 FT, HDG 250 DEGS AS PER PUBLISHED MISSED APCH. I INFORMED PAE TWR AND THEY ASKED WHAT MY MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS WERE, AND I TOLD THEM ALL I HAVE IS THE PUBLISHED INSTRUCTIONS. PAE TWR DID NOT REPLY AND DID NOT OFFER ANY OTHER INSTRUCTIONS. IN ABOUT 60 SECONDS, PAE TWR ASKED ME TO CONTACT ZSE ON 128.5, WHICH I DID, AND GOT VECTORS FOR A SECOND, SUCCESSFUL ILS RWY 16R APCH. LATER I WAS ASKED TO CALL PAE TWR ON LANDLINE.

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.

A C177RG pilot performs an early missed approach procedure at pae when he 'loses' the localizer. Pilot cites his distraction in attempting to turn on his landing lights as being causal.