Narrative:

Things are stressful in my life lately; including a major move and lots of change in regard to pre-retirement planning. It was a 'soft IFR' day and I thought it would be a good diversion to take my wife for a sunday brunch to apc (napa). What IFR flying I did to apc in the past always involved the localizer approach for runway 36L. As preparation I reviewed my commercial plates; but I recall stopping at the plate depicting the GPS approach runway 06. My plane isn't IFR GPS equipped. I studied the (expected) approach; namely localizer runway 36L. I did not listen to the apc ATIS before leaving my home. While en route and 30 mi out from apc I tuned in to ATIS. It indicated they were using the 'VOR runway 6' (36? Don't they mean the localizer runway 36?). The transmission was a bit broken and fuzzy. Not aware; then; that a VOR runway 6 approach even existed (needless to say; I left my chart book with all the other plates at home); I soldiered on. Oak center was especially busy and I had enough difficulty getting them to even acknowledge my handoffs. I just couldn't get my question in about the apc approach in use. Planes were being put in holds and I suspected the same would be asked of me. Apc sounded busy. I was about 3 to the worth of scaggs island VOR (my field clearance limit). Still no oak center controller; to advise me of the ach in use; anticipated delay time; whether I was to hold at scaggs island or not. I managed to call him. He advised me to anticipate handoff to another oak center frequency momentarily; with again no instruction as to how I was to proceed once at sgd. This whole time I was in IMC conditions at 5000 ft. Reluctant to enter a hold at sgd without a specific clearance and with the frequency so busy I couldn't get the same controller's attention. I crossed sgd and chose to fly direct lylly (the IAF for the localizer runway 36L) and hold there at my assigned 5000 ft or until I could get controller's attention. It was somewhere around there that I was handed off to the next oak center controller. She quizzed me as to whether I was holding at sgd. I answered that I was not; rather that I was at lylly then outbnd on the localizer pending further instructions. She then proceeded to vector me to the west...again no instructions as to the approach in use or anticipated delays. She then began descending me with a final 'vector of 090 degrees to join the inbound course.' this didn't ring right. I was to the west of apc and 090 degrees would make an approximately 90 degree intercept with the runway 36L localizer!! I queried ATIS again (it was just after the hour; and there was a fresh ATIS recording). They were using the 'VOR runway 06' approach (ceiling 1500 ft broken). With no plate and no idea how to fly it; the 'light of discovery turned on' and I knew it was time to get out of there. The controller was advised by me that I had no plate. I requested and received a clearance to climb; with vectors; back to my home airport. I consider my stressed frame of mind and my insufficient preparation; my failure to look on the backside of the GPS runway 06 plate (there it was; the VOR runway plate; when I returned home) and then my denial to myself that such an approach existed; while en route; as the biggest problems here. Contributory; in my mind; were the overly busy controllers. No one queried my choice of holdings at lylly (wrong approach); and no controller mouthed the words 'VOR 06 approach' while I was on frequency...to anyone. I don't believe I caused any traffic conflicts or posed any safety issues here. I just believe a series of little omissions led to some big confusion at the end. Everyone was nice; and I got home fine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IMC C182 PLT GOES BEYOND HIS CLRNC LIMIT UNABLE TO TALK WITH A BUSY ATC. HE THEN DISCOVERS HE DOES NOT HAVE THE NEEDED APC APCH PLATE.

Narrative: THINGS ARE STRESSFUL IN MY LIFE LATELY; INCLUDING A MAJOR MOVE AND LOTS OF CHANGE IN REGARD TO PRE-RETIREMENT PLANNING. IT WAS A 'SOFT IFR' DAY AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD DIVERSION TO TAKE MY WIFE FOR A SUNDAY BRUNCH TO APC (NAPA). WHAT IFR FLYING I DID TO APC IN THE PAST ALWAYS INVOLVED THE LOCALIZER APCH FOR RWY 36L. AS PREPARATION I REVIEWED MY COMMERCIAL PLATES; BUT I RECALL STOPPING AT THE PLATE DEPICTING THE GPS APCH RWY 06. MY PLANE ISN'T IFR GPS EQUIPPED. I STUDIED THE (EXPECTED) APCH; NAMELY LOC RWY 36L. I DID NOT LISTEN TO THE APC ATIS BEFORE LEAVING MY HOME. WHILE ENRTE AND 30 MI OUT FROM APC I TUNED IN TO ATIS. IT INDICATED THEY WERE USING THE 'VOR RWY 6' (36? DON'T THEY MEAN THE LOCALIZER RWY 36?). THE TRANSMISSION WAS A BIT BROKEN AND FUZZY. NOT AWARE; THEN; THAT A VOR RWY 6 APCH EVEN EXISTED (NEEDLESS TO SAY; I LEFT MY CHART BOOK WITH ALL THE OTHER PLATES AT HOME); I SOLDIERED ON. OAK CTR WAS ESPECIALLY BUSY AND I HAD ENOUGH DIFFICULTY GETTING THEM TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE MY HANDOFFS. I JUST COULDN'T GET MY QUESTION IN ABOUT THE APC APCH IN USE. PLANES WERE BEING PUT IN HOLDS AND I SUSPECTED THE SAME WOULD BE ASKED OF ME. APC SOUNDED BUSY. I WAS ABOUT 3 TO THE WORTH OF SCAGGS ISLAND VOR (MY FIELD CLRNC LIMIT). STILL NO OAK CTR CTLR; TO ADVISE ME OF THE ACH IN USE; ANTICIPATED DELAY TIME; WHETHER I WAS TO HOLD AT SCAGGS ISLAND OR NOT. I MANAGED TO CALL HIM. HE ADVISED ME TO ANTICIPATE HANDOFF TO ANOTHER OAK CTR FREQUENCY MOMENTARILY; WITH AGAIN NO INSTRUCTION AS TO HOW I WAS TO PROCEED ONCE AT SGD. THIS WHOLE TIME I WAS IN IMC CONDITIONS AT 5000 FT. RELUCTANT TO ENTER A HOLD AT SGD WITHOUT A SPECIFIC CLRNC AND WITH THE FREQUENCY SO BUSY I COULDN'T GET THE SAME CTLR'S ATTENTION. I CROSSED SGD AND CHOSE TO FLY DIRECT LYLLY (THE IAF FOR THE LOC RWY 36L) AND HOLD THERE AT MY ASSIGNED 5000 FT OR UNTIL I COULD GET CTLR'S ATTENTION. IT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE THAT I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT OAK CTR CTLR. SHE QUIZZED ME AS TO WHETHER I WAS HOLDING AT SGD. I ANSWERED THAT I WAS NOT; RATHER THAT I WAS AT LYLLY THEN OUTBND ON THE LOCALIZER PENDING FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. SHE THEN PROCEEDED TO VECTOR ME TO THE W...AGAIN NO INSTRUCTIONS AS TO THE APCH IN USE OR ANTICIPATED DELAYS. SHE THEN BEGAN DSNDING ME WITH A FINAL 'VECTOR OF 090 DEGS TO JOIN THE INBND COURSE.' THIS DIDN'T RING RIGHT. I WAS TO THE W OF APC AND 090 DEGS WOULD MAKE AN APPROX 90 DEG INTERCEPT WITH THE RWY 36L LOCALIZER!! I QUERIED ATIS AGAIN (IT WAS JUST AFTER THE HOUR; AND THERE WAS A FRESH ATIS RECORDING). THEY WERE USING THE 'VOR RWY 06' APCH (CEILING 1500 FT BROKEN). WITH NO PLATE AND NO IDEA HOW TO FLY IT; THE 'LIGHT OF DISCOVERY TURNED ON' AND I KNEW IT WAS TIME TO GET OUT OF THERE. THE CTLR WAS ADVISED BY ME THAT I HAD NO PLATE. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO CLB; WITH VECTORS; BACK TO MY HOME ARPT. I CONSIDER MY STRESSED FRAME OF MIND AND MY INSUFFICIENT PREPARATION; MY FAILURE TO LOOK ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE GPS RWY 06 PLATE (THERE IT WAS; THE VOR RWY PLATE; WHEN I RETURNED HOME) AND THEN MY DENIAL TO MYSELF THAT SUCH AN APCH EXISTED; WHILE ENRTE; AS THE BIGGEST PROBS HERE. CONTRIBUTORY; IN MY MIND; WERE THE OVERLY BUSY CTLRS. NO ONE QUERIED MY CHOICE OF HOLDINGS AT LYLLY (WRONG APCH); AND NO CTLR MOUTHED THE WORDS 'VOR 06 APCH' WHILE I WAS ON FREQUENCY...TO ANYONE. I DON'T BELIEVE I CAUSED ANY TFC CONFLICTS OR POSED ANY SAFETY ISSUES HERE. I JUST BELIEVE A SERIES OF LITTLE OMISSIONS LED TO SOME BIG CONFUSION AT THE END. EVERYONE WAS NICE; AND I GOT HOME FINE.

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.