Narrative:

I was leaving crq in san diego and flying to trk in lake tahoe. My plan was to shoot the approach into trk. Checking the WX before my departure reported 3000-5000 ft ceilings with showers in the vicinity for my forecast. Over los angeles basin, I picked up an IFR clearance and climbed to FL200. Within 5 mins I was IMC. Getting closer to trk, I discovered that the WX had deteriorated to 200 ft ceilings at both trk and tvl in south lake tahoe. I told ATC that I now wanted to go into rno seeing that the ceilings were 1800 ft. I prepared for the back course lda approach to runway 34L. While on the approach, approach told me that an MD80 had just gone around and that they were preparing to switch runways to runway 16R/ILS. They asked if I'd like to be vectored for the ILS to runway 16R. I noted yes. On my first approach, I did not have the airport in sight at the missed approach and executed the missed approach as published. On my second approach back to runway 16R, I had the airport in sight at the missed approach and continued for the runway. I then found myself in a small above low ground cloud/fog. I went for the throttles to execute the published missed approach, even though I feared that fuel left in my tanks was now 1 hour. As I came in with a little throttle, I popped out of the cloud/fog and had the entire airport in sight clear as day. I was over the approach numbers of runway 16R high and instead of going back up into the bad WX and trying the approach again fearing that the WX was going to continue to get worse, told/asked tower that I was doing a 360 degree turn and setting down on runway 16R. I did a quick descending 360 degree turn and landed safely on runway 16R. I feared that the WX was getting worse and I had enough fuel to fly the approach only 2 more times. If the next 2 were not successful, it was all over. Knowing that runway 16R was the only runway in use and that no one was right on my tail for runway 16R, and that I then had the airport completely insight, I had the chance to set it down and not risk my life or my passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C340 WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TWR WOULD FIND HIM IN VIOLATION FOR MAKING A 360 DEG DSNDING TURN OVER THE APCH END OF THE RWY AND LNDG FROM AN ILS MISSED APCH. DUE TO THE WX CONDITIONS AND LOW FUEL HE DID NOT WANT TO GO BACK INTO THE WX FOR ANOTHER APCH.

Narrative: I WAS LEAVING CRQ IN SAN DIEGO AND FLYING TO TRK IN LAKE TAHOE. MY PLAN WAS TO SHOOT THE APCH INTO TRK. CHKING THE WX BEFORE MY DEP RPTED 3000-5000 FT CEILINGS WITH SHOWERS IN THE VICINITY FOR MY FORECAST. OVER LOS ANGELES BASIN, I PICKED UP AN IFR CLRNC AND CLBED TO FL200. WITHIN 5 MINS I WAS IMC. GETTING CLOSER TO TRK, I DISCOVERED THAT THE WX HAD DETERIORATED TO 200 FT CEILINGS AT BOTH TRK AND TVL IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. I TOLD ATC THAT I NOW WANTED TO GO INTO RNO SEEING THAT THE CEILINGS WERE 1800 FT. I PREPARED FOR THE BACK COURSE LDA APCH TO RWY 34L. WHILE ON THE APCH, APCH TOLD ME THAT AN MD80 HAD JUST GONE AROUND AND THAT THEY WERE PREPARING TO SWITCH RWYS TO RWY 16R/ILS. THEY ASKED IF I'D LIKE TO BE VECTORED FOR THE ILS TO RWY 16R. I NOTED YES. ON MY FIRST APCH, I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT THE MISSED APCH AND EXECUTED THE MISSED APCH AS PUBLISHED. ON MY SECOND APCH BACK TO RWY 16R, I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT THE MISSED APCH AND CONTINUED FOR THE RWY. I THEN FOUND MYSELF IN A SMALL ABOVE LOW GND CLOUD/FOG. I WENT FOR THE THROTTLES TO EXECUTE THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH, EVEN THOUGH I FEARED THAT FUEL LEFT IN MY TANKS WAS NOW 1 HR. AS I CAME IN WITH A LITTLE THROTTLE, I POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUD/FOG AND HAD THE ENTIRE ARPT IN SIGHT CLR AS DAY. I WAS OVER THE APCH NUMBERS OF RWY 16R HIGH AND INSTEAD OF GOING BACK UP INTO THE BAD WX AND TRYING THE APCH AGAIN FEARING THAT THE WX WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET WORSE, TOLD/ASKED TWR THAT I WAS DOING A 360 DEG TURN AND SETTING DOWN ON RWY 16R. I DID A QUICK DSNDING 360 DEG TURN AND LANDED SAFELY ON RWY 16R. I FEARED THAT THE WX WAS GETTING WORSE AND I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO FLY THE APCH ONLY 2 MORE TIMES. IF THE NEXT 2 WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL, IT WAS ALL OVER. KNOWING THAT RWY 16R WAS THE ONLY RWY IN USE AND THAT NO ONE WAS RIGHT ON MY TAIL FOR RWY 16R, AND THAT I THEN HAD THE ARPT COMPLETELY INSIGHT, I HAD THE CHANCE TO SET IT DOWN AND NOT RISK MY LIFE OR MY PAX.

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.