Narrative:

I am a private pilot in a later stage of instrument training. On this flight, a seasoned instrument rated pilot occupied the right seat as safety pilot. We departed mlb on a local IFR clearance with the intention of practicing several consecutive ILS runway 2 approachs at cof. Dab approach cleared me for the approach and advised me to contact cof tower. My missed approach instructions were 'right turn 090 degrees, climb and maintain 2000 ft and return to the same approach frequency.' tower (military) instructed me to advise when established and call the gear. After intercepting the localizer, I reported established and fixed gear to tower. This approach is rather challenging for me as it requires a continuous descent to the point of GS interception. (Unlike most civilian ILS approachs I've encountered in which you level off and capture the GS from below.) I was too high to properly capture the GS, so I continued a localizer approach. Upon reaching the localizer MDA (plus a 100 ft safety factor), I reported missed approach and began to climb. Tower replied with 'execute departure.' at 600 ft (well above circling minimums), I began a right turn and advised tower that I was following my missed approach instructions and going to departure frequency. I never received any reply. I repeated my call and still received no reply. The cadence and tone of voice of that particular controller indicated to both myself and the PNF PIC that the controller had other things on his mind. I contacted dab just leaving 1100 ft for 2000 ft on a heading of 090 degrees. Dab immediately advised me that I was no longer welcome to fly further approachs at cof because tower had just complained to them that I turned too early after going missed and changed frequencys without their direction. I was quite stunned. A testament to their experience in dealing with a lot of training activity, dab immediately offered me the ILS at tix. I accepted and told them I would voluntarily get in touch with cof tower to discuss the incident. Next we were given a more northerly heading, followed a short time later by a heading of 290 degrees. I complied with all before relinquishing control to my safety pilot so I could reach into the back seat for the tix approach plate. When I took the controls again, dab questioned why we were now heading 090 degrees (back into cof's airspace where we clearly were not wanted). It seems my safety pilot mistook the last 290 degree vector for 'turn to 090 degrees' and had 'corrected' my heading. The subsequent approach into tix was uneventful. 2 days later I telephoned a very friendly cof tower supervisor. He had not heard anything about the incident in question. I explained that the controller's seemingly nonstandard 'execute departure' statement had resulted in some confusion on my part such that I took this to mean 'execute missed approach procedure until passing the departure end of the runway and that he frequently sees civilian aircraft 'turning too early.' I told him that civilian tower controllers in the area, particularly those at airports with adjoining active runways, so often request pilots to terminate their practice approachs (and turn out) prior to reaching the threshold that one training in such an environment could accept the practice as a norm. I was invited to continue practicing approachs at cof and asked to spread the word about turning later rather than sooner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PVT NON IFR RATED PLT MAKES A PREMATURE MISSED APCH TURN AND CLB IN DEV FROM THAT PUBLISHED FOR PATRICK AFB, COF, FL.

Narrative: I AM A PVT PLT IN A LATER STAGE OF INST TRAINING. ON THIS FLT, A SEASONED INST RATED PLT OCCUPIED THE R SEAT AS SAFETY PLT. WE DEPARTED MLB ON A LCL IFR CLRNC WITH THE INTENTION OF PRACTICING SEVERAL CONSECUTIVE ILS RWY 2 APCHS AT COF. DAB APCH CLRED ME FOR THE APCH AND ADVISED ME TO CONTACT COF TWR. MY MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS WERE 'R TURN 090 DEGS, CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT AND RETURN TO THE SAME APCH FREQ.' TWR (MIL) INSTRUCTED ME TO ADVISE WHEN ESTABLISHED AND CALL THE GEAR. AFTER INTERCEPTING THE LOC, I RPTED ESTABLISHED AND FIXED GEAR TO TWR. THIS APCH IS RATHER CHALLENGING FOR ME AS IT REQUIRES A CONTINUOUS DSCNT TO THE POINT OF GS INTERCEPTION. (UNLIKE MOST CIVILIAN ILS APCHS I'VE ENCOUNTERED IN WHICH YOU LEVEL OFF AND CAPTURE THE GS FROM BELOW.) I WAS TOO HIGH TO PROPERLY CAPTURE THE GS, SO I CONTINUED A LOC APCH. UPON REACHING THE LOC MDA (PLUS A 100 FT SAFETY FACTOR), I RPTED MISSED APCH AND BEGAN TO CLB. TWR REPLIED WITH 'EXECUTE DEP.' AT 600 FT (WELL ABOVE CIRCLING MINIMUMS), I BEGAN A R TURN AND ADVISED TWR THAT I WAS FOLLOWING MY MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS AND GOING TO DEP FREQ. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY REPLY. I REPEATED MY CALL AND STILL RECEIVED NO REPLY. THE CADENCE AND TONE OF VOICE OF THAT PARTICULAR CTLR INDICATED TO BOTH MYSELF AND THE PNF PIC THAT THE CTLR HAD OTHER THINGS ON HIS MIND. I CONTACTED DAB JUST LEAVING 1100 FT FOR 2000 FT ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS. DAB IMMEDIATELY ADVISED ME THAT I WAS NO LONGER WELCOME TO FLY FURTHER APCHS AT COF BECAUSE TWR HAD JUST COMPLAINED TO THEM THAT I TURNED TOO EARLY AFTER GOING MISSED AND CHANGED FREQS WITHOUT THEIR DIRECTION. I WAS QUITE STUNNED. A TESTAMENT TO THEIR EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH A LOT OF TRAINING ACTIVITY, DAB IMMEDIATELY OFFERED ME THE ILS AT TIX. I ACCEPTED AND TOLD THEM I WOULD VOLUNTARILY GET IN TOUCH WITH COF TWR TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT. NEXT WE WERE GIVEN A MORE NORTHERLY HDG, FOLLOWED A SHORT TIME LATER BY A HDG OF 290 DEGS. I COMPLIED WITH ALL BEFORE RELINQUISHING CTL TO MY SAFETY PLT SO I COULD REACH INTO THE BACK SEAT FOR THE TIX APCH PLATE. WHEN I TOOK THE CTLS AGAIN, DAB QUESTIONED WHY WE WERE NOW HDG 090 DEGS (BACK INTO COF'S AIRSPACE WHERE WE CLRLY WERE NOT WANTED). IT SEEMS MY SAFETY PLT MISTOOK THE LAST 290 DEG VECTOR FOR 'TURN TO 090 DEGS' AND HAD 'CORRECTED' MY HDG. THE SUBSEQUENT APCH INTO TIX WAS UNEVENTFUL. 2 DAYS LATER I TELEPHONED A VERY FRIENDLY COF TWR SUPVR. HE HAD NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION. I EXPLAINED THAT THE CTLR'S SEEMINGLY NONSTANDARD 'EXECUTE DEP' STATEMENT HAD RESULTED IN SOME CONFUSION ON MY PART SUCH THAT I TOOK THIS TO MEAN 'EXECUTE MISSED APCH PROC UNTIL PASSING THE DEP END OF THE RWY AND THAT HE FREQUENTLY SEES CIVILIAN ACFT 'TURNING TOO EARLY.' I TOLD HIM THAT CIVILIAN TWR CTLRS IN THE AREA, PARTICULARLY THOSE AT ARPTS WITH ADJOINING ACTIVE RWYS, SO OFTEN REQUEST PLTS TO TERMINATE THEIR PRACTICE APCHS (AND TURN OUT) PRIOR TO REACHING THE THRESHOLD THAT ONE TRAINING IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT COULD ACCEPT THE PRACTICE AS A NORM. I WAS INVITED TO CONTINUE PRACTICING APCHS AT COF AND ASKED TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT TURNING LATER RATHER THAN SOONER.

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.