Narrative:

At about the time I wanted to return to pns, there were 10 aircraft for the ILS. I was told to wait, then I was turned north for the approach. I was vectored 10 mi to the north of pns, where it was clear, but I heard ATC and other pilots talk about the ceiling decreasing -- 500 ft, 300 ft, then 200 ft. Mist had quickly developed over pns field. I was cleared for the ILS runway 17 approach, and told to slow. I slowed from 90 KTS to 70 KTS. I was told I would be cleared to land, after the aircraft ahead landed. The tower directed the aircraft ahead to turn at the next taxiway, then it became apparent he hadn't landed. I found myself at the middle marker, and the tower told me to go around. I applied power, cleaned up the flaps. I never got out of IMC. Climbed to 600 ft, then made a climbing left turn. I had turned from a heading of 165 degrees to almost 030 degrees, when the tower told me to fly runway heading. I responded that I was turning as published, and the tower told me fly heading 090 degrees, climb to 1700 ft and contact the approach controller, which I did. Just then, I realized that the published missed approach is a climbing right turn, to nun VOR! (I had turned left.) the controller brought me around again, and I made the approach in the mist, 200 ft ceiling, 1/2 mi visibility, but no aircraft trying to land just ahead of me. Factors: 1) pns is my home airport. I've flown the ILS runway 17 approach hundreds of times. I had high confidence that I knew the approach. 2) when doing practice approachs, the go around instructions are more often for a climbing left turn, so when I was told to do a go around, I immediately thought of a climbing left turn. 3) when I was being vectored, I was thinking it would be a quick easy ILS, with clouds from 1700 ft to 800 ft or 700 ft. I wasn't mentally prepared for the sudden ceiling drop to 200 ft. When I heard about this, I was on the localizer and busy lining up the airplane. 4) most of my attention was flying the airplane on the localizer and GS to the minimums. What attention I had left was trying to figure if the airplane ahead would be off the runway by the time I touched down. 5) ATC was trying to get several airplanes in, so spacing on the ILS was tighter than usual. Corrective actions: 1) always expect and mentally prepare for sudden worsening of WX and rapidly changing traffic sits. 2) make sure I read to myself the missed approach procedures each time -- especially if I'm familiar with the approach. (That is, study everything on a familiar approach as I would on an unfamiliar approach).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT, ON APCH TO PNS, DID NOT FOLLOW CHARTED MISSED APCH PROCS.

Narrative: AT ABOUT THE TIME I WANTED TO RETURN TO PNS, THERE WERE 10 ACFT FOR THE ILS. I WAS TOLD TO WAIT, THEN I WAS TURNED N FOR THE APCH. I WAS VECTORED 10 MI TO THE N OF PNS, WHERE IT WAS CLR, BUT I HEARD ATC AND OTHER PLTS TALK ABOUT THE CEILING DECREASING -- 500 FT, 300 FT, THEN 200 FT. MIST HAD QUICKLY DEVELOPED OVER PNS FIELD. I WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 17 APCH, AND TOLD TO SLOW. I SLOWED FROM 90 KTS TO 70 KTS. I WAS TOLD I WOULD BE CLRED TO LAND, AFTER THE ACFT AHEAD LANDED. THE TWR DIRECTED THE ACFT AHEAD TO TURN AT THE NEXT TXWY, THEN IT BECAME APPARENT HE HADN'T LANDED. I FOUND MYSELF AT THE MIDDLE MARKER, AND THE TWR TOLD ME TO GO AROUND. I APPLIED PWR, CLEANED UP THE FLAPS. I NEVER GOT OUT OF IMC. CLBED TO 600 FT, THEN MADE A CLBING L TURN. I HAD TURNED FROM A HDG OF 165 DEGS TO ALMOST 030 DEGS, WHEN THE TWR TOLD ME TO FLY RWY HDG. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS TURNING AS PUBLISHED, AND THE TWR TOLD ME FLY HDG 090 DEGS, CLB TO 1700 FT AND CONTACT THE APCH CTLR, WHICH I DID. JUST THEN, I REALIZED THAT THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH IS A CLBING R TURN, TO NUN VOR! (I HAD TURNED L.) THE CTLR BROUGHT ME AROUND AGAIN, AND I MADE THE APCH IN THE MIST, 200 FT CEILING, 1/2 MI VISIBILITY, BUT NO ACFT TRYING TO LAND JUST AHEAD OF ME. FACTORS: 1) PNS IS MY HOME ARPT. I'VE FLOWN THE ILS RWY 17 APCH HUNDREDS OF TIMES. I HAD HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT I KNEW THE APCH. 2) WHEN DOING PRACTICE APCHS, THE GAR INSTRUCTIONS ARE MORE OFTEN FOR A CLBING L TURN, SO WHEN I WAS TOLD TO DO A GAR, I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF A CLBING L TURN. 3) WHEN I WAS BEING VECTORED, I WAS THINKING IT WOULD BE A QUICK EASY ILS, WITH CLOUDS FROM 1700 FT TO 800 FT OR 700 FT. I WASN'T MENTALLY PREPARED FOR THE SUDDEN CEILING DROP TO 200 FT. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THIS, I WAS ON THE LOC AND BUSY LINING UP THE AIRPLANE. 4) MOST OF MY ATTN WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE ON THE LOC AND GS TO THE MINIMUMS. WHAT ATTN I HAD LEFT WAS TRYING TO FIGURE IF THE AIRPLANE AHEAD WOULD BE OFF THE RWY BY THE TIME I TOUCHED DOWN. 5) ATC WAS TRYING TO GET SEVERAL AIRPLANES IN, SO SPACING ON THE ILS WAS TIGHTER THAN USUAL. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) ALWAYS EXPECT AND MENTALLY PREPARE FOR SUDDEN WORSENING OF WX AND RAPIDLY CHANGING TFC SITS. 2) MAKE SURE I READ TO MYSELF THE MISSED APCH PROCS EACH TIME -- ESPECIALLY IF I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE APCH. (THAT IS, STUDY EVERYTHING ON A FAMILIAR APCH AS I WOULD ON AN UNFAMILIAR APCH).

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.