Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight from enw to ugn in a C172/U. I was in IMC conditions at the time I was turned over to chicago approach. Chicago had me at 4000 ft on a heading of 180 degrees. When I went through the ILS localizer course I informed the controller. He then was going to vector me for the RNAV 5 approach. I told him I was unable to do that approach because the aircraft was not equipped for it; and I had filed with a /U suffix. He then gave me a 180 degree heading and after a considerable time he told me to turn to a 090 degree heading and told me that I will have to hold for quite a while. I acknowledged and asked to be kept as close to shore as possible since that heading was taking me farther over lake michigan. After I was about 8 mi over water I informed him that I was a single engine aircraft and was 8 mi from shore. The response was something like I know that. Since he was not turning me in; I asked to talk to a supervisor in an effort to get closer to shore. He did not put me in contact with a supervisor but turned me toward shore at that time. About 3 mi from shore he turned me again on a 090 degree heading back over the lake another 8 or more mi. We are very vulnerable in single engine aircraft over water and always attempt to minimize the risk. On an IFR flight in IMC conditions we are at the mercy of the controller. I believe there were many other areas I could have held including the published hold for the ILS. In the interest of safety; I called the chicago TRACON and asked to speak to the supervisor that was responsible at the time of my approach. As soon as I was connected with the supervisor; he immediately told me that I was giving the controller a hard time. I never gave the controller a hard time; as the tapes will show. When I asked the supervisor what he meant by a hard time; he said telling the controller I was going through the localizer was giving him a hard time. This has always been a normal practice and is only done as a reminder to the controller in case he missed a vector to the course. The supervisor also said that the whole thing was my fault because I was landing the wrong way. I expected a circle to land to runway 5. I could not have done the RNAV 5 approach even if I wanted to; my aircraft was not equipped for it and the airport was IFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR C172 PLT EXPRESSED CONCERNS REGARDING C90'S HANDLING OF THEIR APCH INTO ENW.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT FROM ENW TO UGN IN A C172/U. I WAS IN IMC CONDITIONS AT THE TIME I WAS TURNED OVER TO CHICAGO APCH. CHICAGO HAD ME AT 4000 FT ON A HDG OF 180 DEGS. WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE ILS LOC COURSE I INFORMED THE CTLR. HE THEN WAS GOING TO VECTOR ME FOR THE RNAV 5 APCH. I TOLD HIM I WAS UNABLE TO DO THAT APCH BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR IT; AND I HAD FILED WITH A /U SUFFIX. HE THEN GAVE ME A 180 DEG HDG AND AFTER A CONSIDERABLE TIME HE TOLD ME TO TURN TO A 090 DEG HDG AND TOLD ME THAT I WILL HAVE TO HOLD FOR QUITE A WHILE. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND ASKED TO BE KEPT AS CLOSE TO SHORE AS POSSIBLE SINCE THAT HDG WAS TAKING ME FARTHER OVER LAKE MICHIGAN. AFTER I WAS ABOUT 8 MI OVER WATER I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS A SINGLE ENG ACFT AND WAS 8 MI FROM SHORE. THE RESPONSE WAS SOMETHING LIKE I KNOW THAT. SINCE HE WAS NOT TURNING ME IN; I ASKED TO TALK TO A SUPVR IN AN EFFORT TO GET CLOSER TO SHORE. HE DID NOT PUT ME IN CONTACT WITH A SUPVR BUT TURNED ME TOWARD SHORE AT THAT TIME. ABOUT 3 MI FROM SHORE HE TURNED ME AGAIN ON A 090 DEG HDG BACK OVER THE LAKE ANOTHER 8 OR MORE MI. WE ARE VERY VULNERABLE IN SINGLE ENG ACFT OVER WATER AND ALWAYS ATTEMPT TO MINIMIZE THE RISK. ON AN IFR FLT IN IMC CONDITIONS WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE CTLR. I BELIEVE THERE WERE MANY OTHER AREAS I COULD HAVE HELD INCLUDING THE PUBLISHED HOLD FOR THE ILS. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; I CALLED THE CHICAGO TRACON AND ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE SUPVR THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE AT THE TIME OF MY APCH. AS SOON AS I WAS CONNECTED WITH THE SUPVR; HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME THAT I WAS GIVING THE CTLR A HARD TIME. I NEVER GAVE THE CTLR A HARD TIME; AS THE TAPES WILL SHOW. WHEN I ASKED THE SUPVR WHAT HE MEANT BY A HARD TIME; HE SAID TELLING THE CTLR I WAS GOING THROUGH THE LOC WAS GIVING HIM A HARD TIME. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A NORMAL PRACTICE AND IS ONLY DONE AS A REMINDER TO THE CTLR IN CASE HE MISSED A VECTOR TO THE COURSE. THE SUPVR ALSO SAID THAT THE WHOLE THING WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE I WAS LNDG THE WRONG WAY. I EXPECTED A CIRCLE TO LAND TO RWY 5. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THE RNAV 5 APCH EVEN IF I WANTED TO; MY ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR IT AND THE ARPT WAS IFR.

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.