Narrative:

I downloaded government charts for the flight from a web site, because I had mislaid the current commercial charts for the area. I filed an IFR flight plan. This flight was with my son, who is also a private pilot. The VOR at paine field is OTS until october, the last check on the plane was jun/sun/04. A few days later I decided to fly anyway. En route, I used the IFR certified GPS for the DME, and set it for hqm. ARTCC cleared me for the ILS approach to hqm, reported no traffic between my present position and hqm, frequency change approved. At uless the DME is measured from hqm VOR. I did not change this for several mi, then was late changing to the hqm localizer DME, was late and high, and began a missed approach. I returned to ARTCC and reported the missed. They suggested what I realize now was the VOR runway 6 approach, maintain 3000 ft, frequency change approved. My mind was still thinking runway 24. I got out the approach plate for VOR runway 24, executed a turn in the hold over hqm, and (big error) proceeded to fly a 10 NM DME arc along the 10 NM circle on the approach chart to lead me back to runway 24 at 3000 ft. I had mistaken a 10 NM circle around a point 11.9 NM from hqm (on the government plate) for a DME arc. As I approached a heading of about 050 degrees, I got a call from hoquiam unicom to climb immediately to 5000 ft, heading 010 degrees (I'm not sure about the heading), call ARTCC. I did so. When asked my intentions, I asked for routing back to paine field. He gave me the reverse of my route to hqm, and I flew back. At near shn, we returned to VMC, and I canceled IFR. We flew the scenic route back to paine via lunch in port townsend. Contributing factors: I am a newly rated instrument pilot with 6.1 hours of actual instrument time, and 63.2 hours of simulated instrument time. I was relatively unfamiliar with the government approach plates. Commercial charts do not put the circle on the map, but note it in print on the profile view of the approach. The conditions at the time were marginal IMC, the ceiling of the clouds below us were visible (I would guess 1000 ft below). Above us was high stratus, and we were in smoky haze with forward visibility of about 6 NM (a guess). I hope we would have seen traffic and obstructions in time to avoid them. I will not fly IFR again until I have thoroughly reviewed VOR navigation and approachs with an instructor, both with a ptcad and in-flight. I hope to start that process tomorrow. I will also review the differences between commercial and government approach plates, and make a thorough review prior to any flight. I wanted to show my son that I could fly IFR. I ignored the little voice that said I should not fly IFR with the last VOR check overdue. I did not adequately review the approach plates for the flight, and was taken by surprise by the change in DME locations. This set up the later confusion by placing me in an uncertain state of mind, and behind the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 SINGLE PLT KNOWINGLY DEPARTED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN UTILIZING AN EXPIRED VOR CHK AND LATER UTILIZED THE WRONG APCH PLATE CAUSING A HDG DEV WITH ZSE.

Narrative: I DOWNLOADED GOV CHARTS FOR THE FLT FROM A WEB SITE, BECAUSE I HAD MISLAID THE CURRENT COMMERCIAL CHARTS FOR THE AREA. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. THIS FLT WAS WITH MY SON, WHO IS ALSO A PVT PLT. THE VOR AT PAINE FIELD IS OTS UNTIL OCTOBER, THE LAST CHK ON THE PLANE WAS JUN/SUN/04. A FEW DAYS LATER I DECIDED TO FLY ANYWAY. ENRTE, I USED THE IFR CERTIFIED GPS FOR THE DME, AND SET IT FOR HQM. ARTCC CLRED ME FOR THE ILS APCH TO HQM, RPTED NO TFC BTWN MY PRESENT POS AND HQM, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. AT ULESS THE DME IS MEASURED FROM HQM VOR. I DID NOT CHANGE THIS FOR SEVERAL MI, THEN WAS LATE CHANGING TO THE HQM LOC DME, WAS LATE AND HIGH, AND BEGAN A MISSED APCH. I RETURNED TO ARTCC AND RPTED THE MISSED. THEY SUGGESTED WHAT I REALIZE NOW WAS THE VOR RWY 6 APCH, MAINTAIN 3000 FT, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. MY MIND WAS STILL THINKING RWY 24. I GOT OUT THE APCH PLATE FOR VOR RWY 24, EXECUTED A TURN IN THE HOLD OVER HQM, AND (BIG ERROR) PROCEEDED TO FLY A 10 NM DME ARC ALONG THE 10 NM CIRCLE ON THE APCH CHART TO LEAD ME BACK TO RWY 24 AT 3000 FT. I HAD MISTAKEN A 10 NM CIRCLE AROUND A POINT 11.9 NM FROM HQM (ON THE GOV PLATE) FOR A DME ARC. AS I APCHED A HDG OF ABOUT 050 DEGS, I GOT A CALL FROM HOQUIAM UNICOM TO CLB IMMEDIATELY TO 5000 FT, HDG 010 DEGS (I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE HDG), CALL ARTCC. I DID SO. WHEN ASKED MY INTENTIONS, I ASKED FOR ROUTING BACK TO PAINE FIELD. HE GAVE ME THE REVERSE OF MY RTE TO HQM, AND I FLEW BACK. AT NEAR SHN, WE RETURNED TO VMC, AND I CANCELED IFR. WE FLEW THE SCENIC RTE BACK TO PAINE VIA LUNCH IN PORT TOWNSEND. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I AM A NEWLY RATED INST PLT WITH 6.1 HRS OF ACTUAL INST TIME, AND 63.2 HRS OF SIMULATED INST TIME. I WAS RELATIVELY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE GOV APCH PLATES. COMMERCIAL CHARTS DO NOT PUT THE CIRCLE ON THE MAP, BUT NOTE IT IN PRINT ON THE PROFILE VIEW OF THE APCH. THE CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE MARGINAL IMC, THE CEILING OF THE CLOUDS BELOW US WERE VISIBLE (I WOULD GUESS 1000 FT BELOW). ABOVE US WAS HIGH STRATUS, AND WE WERE IN SMOKY HAZE WITH FORWARD VISIBILITY OF ABOUT 6 NM (A GUESS). I HOPE WE WOULD HAVE SEEN TFC AND OBSTRUCTIONS IN TIME TO AVOID THEM. I WILL NOT FLY IFR AGAIN UNTIL I HAVE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED VOR NAV AND APCHS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR, BOTH WITH A PTCAD AND INFLT. I HOPE TO START THAT PROCESS TOMORROW. I WILL ALSO REVIEW THE DIFFERENCES BTWN COMMERCIAL AND GOV APCH PLATES, AND MAKE A THOROUGH REVIEW PRIOR TO ANY FLT. I WANTED TO SHOW MY SON THAT I COULD FLY IFR. I IGNORED THE LITTLE VOICE THAT SAID I SHOULD NOT FLY IFR WITH THE LAST VOR CHK OVERDUE. I DID NOT ADEQUATELY REVIEW THE APCH PLATES FOR THE FLT, AND WAS TAKEN BY SURPRISE BY THE CHANGE IN DME LOCATIONS. THIS SET UP THE LATER CONFUSION BY PLACING ME IN AN UNCERTAIN STATE OF MIND, AND BEHIND THE AIRPLANE.

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.