Narrative:

I was the CFI on a local training flight VFR out of santa rosa, ca, sonoma county airport. We took off at approximately XA30 with visibility at 12 mi, sky clear. We headed east for a 20 min flight to angwin (2o3). Landed, took off, heading south to sonoma skypark (0q9). Each segment was approximately 20 min time. Took off from sonoma sky park back to sonoma county direct and I noticed the WX moving in from the west. Santa rosa ATIS reported ceiling 2500 ft broken with visibility 2 1/2 mi in rain. I requested a SVFR clearance and tower responded with a delay of 20-25 mins due to IFR departures and arrs. They suggested IFR with ZOA. I thought about this, and decided to get a localizer approach from center, as I had 1 navigation radio with no GS and with reported ceiling at 2500 ft I would be underneath the ceiling at about 2400 ft AGL and proceeded inbound on a visual. ZOA vectored me around a few times for the approach and had me hold for a priority departure (air rescue). At coati intersection, using 1 VOR, I idented coati and entered 1 turn in the hold then center cleared me to reintercept the final approach course and cleared me for the approach. Center turned me over to santa rosa tower. I made tower contact and descended through 2500 ft -- no visual, still IMC. At this time, tower issued a special report to me. I believe they said, 900 ft broken or overcast, visibility 1 1/4 mi with light rain. I was still not visual and about 1 min or so later, I realized my localizer needle had a red flag. I recycled the frequency and obtained a full scale deflection (right needle). I turned back towards course and needle failed again. About this time, we broke out of clouds at 600 ft or 700 ft AGL and tower notified me that center had us about 2 mi west of course and suggested a missed approach. I concurred and maneuvered for the missed procedure. I requested then radar vectors to the nearest VFR airport (the missed approach is long and I could not afford the fuel to fly the whole procedure with possible holds). They (center) understood, but said they would have to send me south first. I said I needed to go direct napa because I was then thinking I had 30-40 mins fuel. 'Napa is reporting 3000 ft broken, visibility 10 mi in rain,' the controller told me. I say fine. I told them that I was just short of declaring an emergency. They asked if I was. I said if that's what it takes to get priority -- yes. I did not have a napa approach plate. They gave me vectors to final VOR 6 approach, final approach course and MDA. The WX moved with us and ceiling dropped to 1000 ft broken. We broke out on course, airport in sight, landed, end. Napa tower had me call ZOA and I explained the above event. We fueled at napa and we had 30 mins of fuel after landing. To prevent this from happening, a 180 degree turn in back to sonoma skypark would have been best and better equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 INSTRUCTOR, WITH STUDENT, GOT CAUGHT IN UNFORECASTED WX MOVING OVER HOME BASE RESULTING IN MAKING A MISSED APCH AFTER DSNDING TO 600 FT ON A LOC AND AFTER BEING ADVISED BY ATC THAT THEY WERE 2 MI OFF COURSE.

Narrative: I WAS THE CFI ON A LCL TRAINING FLT VFR OUT OF SANTA ROSA, CA, SONOMA COUNTY ARPT. WE TOOK OFF AT APPROX XA30 WITH VISIBILITY AT 12 MI, SKY CLR. WE HEADED E FOR A 20 MIN FLT TO ANGWIN (2O3). LANDED, TOOK OFF, HEADING S TO SONOMA SKYPARK (0Q9). EACH SEGMENT WAS APPROX 20 MIN TIME. TOOK OFF FROM SONOMA SKY PARK BACK TO SONOMA COUNTY DIRECT AND I NOTICED THE WX MOVING IN FROM THE W. SANTA ROSA ATIS RPTED CEILING 2500 FT BROKEN WITH VISIBILITY 2 1/2 MI IN RAIN. I REQUESTED A SVFR CLRNC AND TWR RESPONDED WITH A DELAY OF 20-25 MINS DUE TO IFR DEPS AND ARRS. THEY SUGGESTED IFR WITH ZOA. I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, AND DECIDED TO GET A LOC APCH FROM CTR, AS I HAD 1 NAV RADIO WITH NO GS AND WITH RPTED CEILING AT 2500 FT I WOULD BE UNDERNEATH THE CEILING AT ABOUT 2400 FT AGL AND PROCEEDED INBOUND ON A VISUAL. ZOA VECTORED ME AROUND A FEW TIMES FOR THE APCH AND HAD ME HOLD FOR A PRIORITY DEP (AIR RESCUE). AT COATI INTXN, USING 1 VOR, I IDENTED COATI AND ENTERED 1 TURN IN THE HOLD THEN CTR CLRED ME TO REINTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND CLRED ME FOR THE APCH. CTR TURNED ME OVER TO SANTA ROSA TWR. I MADE TWR CONTACT AND DSNDED THROUGH 2500 FT -- NO VISUAL, STILL IMC. AT THIS TIME, TWR ISSUED A SPECIAL RPT TO ME. I BELIEVE THEY SAID, 900 FT BROKEN OR OVCST, VISIBILITY 1 1/4 MI WITH LIGHT RAIN. I WAS STILL NOT VISUAL AND ABOUT 1 MIN OR SO LATER, I REALIZED MY LOC NEEDLE HAD A RED FLAG. I RECYCLED THE FREQ AND OBTAINED A FULL SCALE DEFLECTION (R NEEDLE). I TURNED BACK TOWARDS COURSE AND NEEDLE FAILED AGAIN. ABOUT THIS TIME, WE BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS AT 600 FT OR 700 FT AGL AND TWR NOTIFIED ME THAT CTR HAD US ABOUT 2 MI W OF COURSE AND SUGGESTED A MISSED APCH. I CONCURRED AND MANEUVERED FOR THE MISSED PROC. I REQUESTED THEN RADAR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST VFR ARPT (THE MISSED APCH IS LONG AND I COULD NOT AFFORD THE FUEL TO FLY THE WHOLE PROC WITH POSSIBLE HOLDS). THEY (CTR) UNDERSTOOD, BUT SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO SEND ME S FIRST. I SAID I NEEDED TO GO DIRECT NAPA BECAUSE I WAS THEN THINKING I HAD 30-40 MINS FUEL. 'NAPA IS RPTING 3000 FT BROKEN, VISIBILITY 10 MI IN RAIN,' THE CTLR TOLD ME. I SAY FINE. I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS JUST SHORT OF DECLARING AN EMER. THEY ASKED IF I WAS. I SAID IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO GET PRIORITY -- YES. I DID NOT HAVE A NAPA APCH PLATE. THEY GAVE ME VECTORS TO FINAL VOR 6 APCH, FINAL APCH COURSE AND MDA. THE WX MOVED WITH US AND CEILING DROPPED TO 1000 FT BROKEN. WE BROKE OUT ON COURSE, ARPT IN SIGHT, LANDED, END. NAPA TWR HAD ME CALL ZOA AND I EXPLAINED THE ABOVE EVENT. WE FUELED AT NAPA AND WE HAD 30 MINS OF FUEL AFTER LNDG. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING, A 180 DEG TURN IN BACK TO SONOMA SKYPARK WOULD HAVE BEEN BEST AND BETTER EQUIP.

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.