Narrative:

The IFR flight plan originated from bressemer, al (eky) with the destination little rock, ar (lit). Prior to being handed off from ZME to lit approach, ATIS was reporting ILS lndgs on runway 22R with 2 1/2 mi visibility and ceiling overcast at 300 ft. Upon contacting lit approach, I was told to expect ILS runway 22R and given subsequent vectors for that approach which included a downwind to runway 22R at 3000 ft. At this altitude the airplane was skimming the tops of clouds. I was then given a heading of 260 degrees and told to maintain 2000 ft until established for the ILS approach and cleared for the ILS runway 22R and to switch to tower. Upon turning to this vector and beginning a descent out of 3000 ft, the localizer needle came alive and on an approximately heading of 220 degrees, I was established on the localizer and continuing the descent to 2000 ft. About 2100 ft, the localizer needle pegged to the left, I leveled the plane and told the tower I would need a missed approach since I had lost the localizer needle. The tower responded, 'sir, I show you on the localizer.' to which I responded that I was showing no localizer indication. The tower then provided vectors and altitude and switched me to the approach controller. The approach controller then asked if I had previously done a radar surveillance approach to which I responded in the affirmative. He then aid that he would provide turns and stops which he proceed to perform. I was then switched over to another approach frequency and another controller took over and provided excellent turns and instructions and decreased the assigned altitude in a stepwise fashion until the plane was level at 700 ft and I was instructed to report the runway lights in sight. When the threshold lights were visible, I reported them in sight and landed the plane and reported the successful landing and thanked the controller for the excellent guidance. 3 days alter, I received a message on my home telephone answering machine with the following message: 'yes, this is mr X. I am with the FAA and I work at the lit control tower and just following up on an incident, I believe the aircraft number XXXX was involved and I am looking for the owner and if they were involved in it. Basically if you would call back. Just trying to get a little information and follow-up information.' I returned the call. He stated that he needed to know where the flight originated, how many souls were on board and if I was plting the aircraft. To which I answered 'bessemer, alabama (eky), 2 souls on board and I am plting the aircraft.' he stated that he was simply completing a controller radar assist form and that I may or may not hear from the local FSDO. Since the occurrence of this event, the airplane has completed its annual inspection and the function of the localizer and GS has been verified with appropriate aircraft logbook entries made. No anomalies were found. I believe that the cause may have been related to static build-up on the airplane from skimming along on top of the clouds and then having to descend almost 1000 ft rapidly to be at the proper ht for being established on the localizer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 LOST ILS EQUIP AND EXECUTED RADAR SURVEILLANCE APCH TO LIT.

Narrative: THE IFR FLT PLAN ORIGINATED FROM BRESSEMER, AL (EKY) WITH THE DEST LITTLE ROCK, AR (LIT). PRIOR TO BEING HANDED OFF FROM ZME TO LIT APCH, ATIS WAS RPTING ILS LNDGS ON RWY 22R WITH 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY AND CEILING OVCST AT 300 FT. UPON CONTACTING LIT APCH, I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT ILS RWY 22R AND GIVEN SUBSEQUENT VECTORS FOR THAT APCH WHICH INCLUDED A DOWNWIND TO RWY 22R AT 3000 FT. AT THIS ALT THE AIRPLANE WAS SKIMMING THE TOPS OF CLOUDS. I WAS THEN GIVEN A HDG OF 260 DEGS AND TOLD TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED FOR THE ILS APCH AND CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 22R AND TO SWITCH TO TWR. UPON TURNING TO THIS VECTOR AND BEGINNING A DSCNT OUT OF 3000 FT, THE LOC NEEDLE CAME ALIVE AND ON AN APPROX HDG OF 220 DEGS, I WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AND CONTINUING THE DSCNT TO 2000 FT. ABOUT 2100 FT, THE LOC NEEDLE PEGGED TO THE L, I LEVELED THE PLANE AND TOLD THE TWR I WOULD NEED A MISSED APCH SINCE I HAD LOST THE LOC NEEDLE. THE TWR RESPONDED, 'SIR, I SHOW YOU ON THE LOC.' TO WHICH I RESPONDED THAT I WAS SHOWING NO LOC INDICATION. THE TWR THEN PROVIDED VECTORS AND ALT AND SWITCHED ME TO THE APCH CTLR. THE APCH CTLR THEN ASKED IF I HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE A RADAR SURVEILLANCE APCH TO WHICH I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. HE THEN AID THAT HE WOULD PROVIDE TURNS AND STOPS WHICH HE PROCEED TO PERFORM. I WAS THEN SWITCHED OVER TO ANOTHER APCH FREQ AND ANOTHER CTLR TOOK OVER AND PROVIDED EXCELLENT TURNS AND INSTRUCTIONS AND DECREASED THE ASSIGNED ALT IN A STEPWISE FASHION UNTIL THE PLANE WAS LEVEL AT 700 FT AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO RPT THE RWY LIGHTS IN SIGHT. WHEN THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE, I RPTED THEM IN SIGHT AND LANDED THE PLANE AND RPTED THE SUCCESSFUL LNDG AND THANKED THE CTLR FOR THE EXCELLENT GUIDANCE. 3 DAYS ALTER, I RECEIVED A MESSAGE ON MY HOME TELEPHONE ANSWERING MACHINE WITH THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE: 'YES, THIS IS MR X. I AM WITH THE FAA AND I WORK AT THE LIT CTL TWR AND JUST FOLLOWING UP ON AN INCIDENT, I BELIEVE THE ACFT NUMBER XXXX WAS INVOLVED AND I AM LOOKING FOR THE OWNER AND IF THEY WERE INVOLVED IN IT. BASICALLY IF YOU WOULD CALL BACK. JUST TRYING TO GET A LITTLE INFO AND FOLLOW-UP INFO.' I RETURNED THE CALL. HE STATED THAT HE NEEDED TO KNOW WHERE THE FLT ORIGINATED, HOW MANY SOULS WERE ON BOARD AND IF I WAS PLTING THE ACFT. TO WHICH I ANSWERED 'BESSEMER, ALABAMA (EKY), 2 SOULS ON BOARD AND I AM PLTING THE ACFT.' HE STATED THAT HE WAS SIMPLY COMPLETING A CTLR RADAR ASSIST FORM AND THAT I MAY OR MAY NOT HEAR FROM THE LCL FSDO. SINCE THE OCCURRENCE OF THIS EVENT, THE AIRPLANE HAS COMPLETED ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION AND THE FUNCTION OF THE LOC AND GS HAS BEEN VERIFIED WITH APPROPRIATE ACFT LOGBOOK ENTRIES MADE. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAUSE MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO STATIC BUILD-UP ON THE AIRPLANE FROM SKIMMING ALONG ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS AND THEN HAVING TO DSND ALMOST 1000 FT RAPIDLY TO BE AT THE PROPER HT FOR BEING ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC.

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.