Narrative:

I filed a VFR flight plan from mmpr to mman; and took off. Conditions en route were VFR until the approach into mman. Mman was overcast so I asked for a local IFR to make the approach to land. I was given approach instructions to descend to 4000 ft and fly to the monterey VOR to execute the VOR-a approach. I did not have the chart for the published approach; but followed the controller's instructions and flew to the VOR. I either misunderstood; misinterped; or incorrectly executed the controller's instructions because the controller came back with further instructions to fly the VOR-B approach from another VOR. At this time I was confused and disoriented; and responded to the controller that I couldn't find the VOR. The controller came back; gave me a descent to 3000 ft and vectors to the final approach course for landing on runway 22. On final approach; I was given instructions to descend by the published procedure; and was told I was west of course; airport 11 O'clock position; 3 mi. I descended through the lower levels of the overcast and broken clouds; corrected course and landed on runway 22. I got myself into an instrument approach condition without any published approach procedures and had to rely on the approach controller for vectors to final. The factors that I feel are contributing are as follows: 1) I didn't plan to go as far south as puerto vallarta or exit mexico as far east as brownsville; but I was lulled into a false sense of security by a vacation attitude; the previous days of good WX; and the continuous warm; clear conditions that existed. 2) I didn't have instrument approach charts for monterey norte or the other monterey airports. 3) I was educated by industry sources into the mind set that the mexican WX forecasting and reporting system were inadequate or nonexistent; and I didn't pay enough attention to the monterey WX. 4) the aircraft is IFR GPS certified; but I did not have the mexican database or procedures. My primary means of navigation was user waypoints for vors and airports of intended landing; and pilotage using WAC and low altitude en route charts. 5) I am a current instrument pilot; routinely fly IMC; and am proficient with instrument procedures. All of my flying is in the united states system. In hindsight; my weakest techniques are the VOR approachs because in the united states I primarily use the ILS and GPS approachs. 6) although I learned VOR tracking and approach procedures; I have flown only approachs using the visual depiction of the GPS and now realize that I am dependent on this GPS for spatial orientation. Without it I could not properly execute the instructed VOR approach.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE35 PLT FLEW AN INST APCH TO MONTEREY; MEXICO; WITHOUT APCH CHARTS.

Narrative: I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN FROM MMPR TO MMAN; AND TOOK OFF. CONDITIONS ENRTE WERE VFR UNTIL THE APCH INTO MMAN. MMAN WAS OVCST SO I ASKED FOR A LCL IFR TO MAKE THE APCH TO LAND. I WAS GIVEN APCH INSTRUCTIONS TO DSND TO 4000 FT AND FLY TO THE MONTEREY VOR TO EXECUTE THE VOR-A APCH. I DID NOT HAVE THE CHART FOR THE PUBLISHED APCH; BUT FOLLOWED THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND FLEW TO THE VOR. I EITHER MISUNDERSTOOD; MISINTERPED; OR INCORRECTLY EXECUTED THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE THE CTLR CAME BACK WITH FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY THE VOR-B APCH FROM ANOTHER VOR. AT THIS TIME I WAS CONFUSED AND DISORIENTED; AND RESPONDED TO THE CTLR THAT I COULDN'T FIND THE VOR. THE CTLR CAME BACK; GAVE ME A DSCNT TO 3000 FT AND VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR LNDG ON RWY 22. ON FINAL APCH; I WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO DSND BY THE PUBLISHED PROC; AND WAS TOLD I WAS W OF COURSE; ARPT 11 O'CLOCK POS; 3 MI. I DSNDED THROUGH THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE OVCST AND BROKEN CLOUDS; CORRECTED COURSE AND LANDED ON RWY 22. I GOT MYSELF INTO AN INST APCH CONDITION WITHOUT ANY PUBLISHED APCH PROCS AND HAD TO RELY ON THE APCH CTLR FOR VECTORS TO FINAL. THE FACTORS THAT I FEEL ARE CONTRIBUTING ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) I DIDN'T PLAN TO GO AS FAR S AS PUERTO VALLARTA OR EXIT MEXICO AS FAR E AS BROWNSVILLE; BUT I WAS LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY BY A VACATION ATTITUDE; THE PREVIOUS DAYS OF GOOD WX; AND THE CONTINUOUS WARM; CLR CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED. 2) I DIDN'T HAVE INST APCH CHARTS FOR MONTEREY NORTE OR THE OTHER MONTEREY ARPTS. 3) I WAS EDUCATED BY INDUSTRY SOURCES INTO THE MIND SET THAT THE MEXICAN WX FORECASTING AND RPTING SYS WERE INADEQUATE OR NONEXISTENT; AND I DIDN'T PAY ENOUGH ATTN TO THE MONTEREY WX. 4) THE ACFT IS IFR GPS CERTIFIED; BUT I DID NOT HAVE THE MEXICAN DATABASE OR PROCS. MY PRIMARY MEANS OF NAV WAS USER WAYPOINTS FOR VORS AND ARPTS OF INTENDED LNDG; AND PILOTAGE USING WAC AND LOW ALT ENRTE CHARTS. 5) I AM A CURRENT INST PLT; ROUTINELY FLY IMC; AND AM PROFICIENT WITH INST PROCS. ALL OF MY FLYING IS IN THE UNITED STATES SYS. IN HINDSIGHT; MY WEAKEST TECHNIQUES ARE THE VOR APCHS BECAUSE IN THE UNITED STATES I PRIMARILY USE THE ILS AND GPS APCHS. 6) ALTHOUGH I LEARNED VOR TRACKING AND APCH PROCS; I HAVE FLOWN ONLY APCHS USING THE VISUAL DEPICTION OF THE GPS AND NOW REALIZE THAT I AM DEPENDENT ON THIS GPS FOR SPATIAL ORIENTATION. WITHOUT IT I COULD NOT PROPERLY EXECUTE THE INSTRUCTED VOR APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.