Narrative:

On new york approach to psb, advised to expect ILS runway 16. I asked if I could expect vectors and he told me his radar was out. 4 mins out, controller informed of delay and cleared me to hold, as published, over ports which turns out to be the OM for ILS runway 16. I checked the charts, no published hold. 3 mins out now, I told him and he said to proceed in while he checked. He got back to me at 1 min out, confirmed there was no published hold and directed me to hold on the inbound course, 10 DME legs, with an efc. I checked the plate -- the ILS is localizer, not localizer DME. I was then 30 seconds out from ports. The controller then cleared me for the ILS runway 16. I told him 'I'm almost over ports' and asked if I should turn, intercept at ports, and fly inbound or fly outbound and do the procedure turn. He told me 'your choice.' this clearly was not standard, and I thought, to be safe, I would fly outbound and get established for a stabilized approach rather than go into a steep turn and bring it around to intercept ports inbound. I flew the outbound, pt, and inbound without incident and after ports the controller told me to go to unicom without giving me cancellation instructions. I landed, cleared the runway, called back on the same approach frequency, got a different controller, and canceled. 4 seeming controller mistakes: 1) clearing for a published hold that isn't published. 2) clearing for 10 DME legs without DME on the field. 3) clearing for an approach that isn't published without radar coverage (is this an approved procedure?). 4) no IFR cancellation instructions. I have reasonable experience in type, in the airspace and the system, and have good currency flying regular part 135 charters. I was just ahead of the plane. If I was the average GA pilot, I very well could have gotten behind the plane and in serious trouble in hard IMC, searching for a hold that doesn't exit and flying an unpublished approach procedure when cleared without directions, 'at my option' over the marker.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAY1 PLT IS CONCERNED WITH ATC HANDLING DURING IFR APCH TO PSB AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOLDING PROC.

Narrative: ON NEW YORK APCH TO PSB, ADVISED TO EXPECT ILS RWY 16. I ASKED IF I COULD EXPECT VECTORS AND HE TOLD ME HIS RADAR WAS OUT. 4 MINS OUT, CTLR INFORMED OF DELAY AND CLRED ME TO HOLD, AS PUBLISHED, OVER PORTS WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE THE OM FOR ILS RWY 16. I CHKED THE CHARTS, NO PUBLISHED HOLD. 3 MINS OUT NOW, I TOLD HIM AND HE SAID TO PROCEED IN WHILE HE CHKED. HE GOT BACK TO ME AT 1 MIN OUT, CONFIRMED THERE WAS NO PUBLISHED HOLD AND DIRECTED ME TO HOLD ON THE INBOUND COURSE, 10 DME LEGS, WITH AN EFC. I CHKED THE PLATE -- THE ILS IS LOC, NOT LOC DME. I WAS THEN 30 SECONDS OUT FROM PORTS. THE CTLR THEN CLRED ME FOR THE ILS RWY 16. I TOLD HIM 'I'M ALMOST OVER PORTS' AND ASKED IF I SHOULD TURN, INTERCEPT AT PORTS, AND FLY INBOUND OR FLY OUTBOUND AND DO THE PROC TURN. HE TOLD ME 'YOUR CHOICE.' THIS CLRLY WAS NOT STANDARD, AND I THOUGHT, TO BE SAFE, I WOULD FLY OUTBOUND AND GET ESTABLISHED FOR A STABILIZED APCH RATHER THAN GO INTO A STEEP TURN AND BRING IT AROUND TO INTERCEPT PORTS INBOUND. I FLEW THE OUTBOUND, PT, AND INBOUND WITHOUT INCIDENT AND AFTER PORTS THE CTLR TOLD ME TO GO TO UNICOM WITHOUT GIVING ME CANCELLATION INSTRUCTIONS. I LANDED, CLRED THE RWY, CALLED BACK ON THE SAME APCH FREQ, GOT A DIFFERENT CTLR, AND CANCELED. 4 SEEMING CTLR MISTAKES: 1) CLRING FOR A PUBLISHED HOLD THAT ISN'T PUBLISHED. 2) CLRING FOR 10 DME LEGS WITHOUT DME ON THE FIELD. 3) CLRING FOR AN APCH THAT ISN'T PUBLISHED WITHOUT RADAR COVERAGE (IS THIS AN APPROVED PROC?). 4) NO IFR CANCELLATION INSTRUCTIONS. I HAVE REASONABLE EXPERIENCE IN TYPE, IN THE AIRSPACE AND THE SYS, AND HAVE GOOD CURRENCY FLYING REGULAR PART 135 CHARTERS. I WAS JUST AHEAD OF THE PLANE. IF I WAS THE AVERAGE GA PLT, I VERY WELL COULD HAVE GOTTEN BEHIND THE PLANE AND IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IN HARD IMC, SEARCHING FOR A HOLD THAT DOESN'T EXIT AND FLYING AN UNPUBLISHED APCH PROC WHEN CLRED WITHOUT DIRECTIONS, 'AT MY OPTION' OVER THE MARKER.

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.