Narrative:

I was on a training flight with instructor so I could do actual IFR approach to remain current. I needed to take my family on a trip in the plane for 2 weeks and wanted to be current. The conditions were good for practice and I liked the idea of rain, so I could get better. Usually I practice the approachs 800-1000 ft, but no rain. We were cleared for ILS approach and called the tower. They said no one could land because military aircraft had just landed. Approach reported level 3 and level 4 precipitation moving in. We wanted to do multiple approachs and told the controller this fact. The rain picked up as we were through the approach. When tower told us to go around and hold I was nervous because of the heavy rain now coming down. Nevertheless I added power to do a missed approach and the engine sputtered. Probably due to the heavy rain. We notified tower who said 'the only way you can land now is to declare an emergency!' the instructor and myself waited 8 seconds to answer to see if the engine would work better, and it was. The rain was coming down harder, at which point my instructor said 'declare an emergency, let's not fool around in this WX with this engine.' we made a short emergency approach and the engine sputtered again at times in the approach. We landed safely. Recommendation: every pilot should realize airports close for a lot of reasons. Does it make sense though to close an airport for a govt official so that airplanes hold in thunderstorms of heavy rain? Should be a 'way out' without declaring an emergency. Also, once cleared for the approach, I should be able to land without declaring an emergency!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT, WITH AN INSTRUCTOR, IN AN SEL SMA HAD TO DECLARE AN EMER IN ORDER TO LAND AT CTLED ARPT WHERE GOV OFFICIAL HAD JUST LANDED. IN ADDITION, THE ACFT'S ENG WAS INTERMITTENTLY LOSING PWR IN HVY RAIN FROM TSTMS.

Narrative: I WAS ON A TRAINING FLT WITH INSTRUCTOR SO I COULD DO ACTUAL IFR APCH TO REMAIN CURRENT. I NEEDED TO TAKE MY FAMILY ON A TRIP IN THE PLANE FOR 2 WKS AND WANTED TO BE CURRENT. THE CONDITIONS WERE GOOD FOR PRACTICE AND I LIKED THE IDEA OF RAIN, SO I COULD GET BETTER. USUALLY I PRACTICE THE APCHS 800-1000 FT, BUT NO RAIN. WE WERE CLRED FOR ILS APCH AND CALLED THE TWR. THEY SAID NO ONE COULD LAND BECAUSE MIL ACFT HAD JUST LANDED. APCH RPTED LEVEL 3 AND LEVEL 4 PRECIP MOVING IN. WE WANTED TO DO MULTIPLE APCHS AND TOLD THE CTLR THIS FACT. THE RAIN PICKED UP AS WE WERE THROUGH THE APCH. WHEN TWR TOLD US TO GO AROUND AND HOLD I WAS NERVOUS BECAUSE OF THE HVY RAIN NOW COMING DOWN. NEVERTHELESS I ADDED PWR TO DO A MISSED APCH AND THE ENG SPUTTERED. PROBABLY DUE TO THE HVY RAIN. WE NOTIFIED TWR WHO SAID 'THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN LAND NOW IS TO DECLARE AN EMER!' THE INSTRUCTOR AND MYSELF WAITED 8 SECONDS TO ANSWER TO SEE IF THE ENG WOULD WORK BETTER, AND IT WAS. THE RAIN WAS COMING DOWN HARDER, AT WHICH POINT MY INSTRUCTOR SAID 'DECLARE AN EMER, LET'S NOT FOOL AROUND IN THIS WX WITH THIS ENG.' WE MADE A SHORT EMER APCH AND THE ENG SPUTTERED AGAIN AT TIMES IN THE APCH. WE LANDED SAFELY. RECOMMENDATION: EVERY PLT SHOULD REALIZE ARPTS CLOSE FOR A LOT OF REASONS. DOES IT MAKE SENSE THOUGH TO CLOSE AN ARPT FOR A GOVT OFFICIAL SO THAT AIRPLANES HOLD IN TSTMS OF HVY RAIN? SHOULD BE A 'WAY OUT' WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER. ALSO, ONCE CLRED FOR THE APCH, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER!

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.