Narrative:

FSS has become nearly useless. I cannot even count on them entering my flight plan when I have spoken to a briefer and listened to them type it in so I have taken to filing ahead of time by computer. By the time I departed for 76G; my alternate was below legal limits for an alternate. But calling FSS to correct the alternate I thought was a losing proposition. I should have asked mn center to correct it during departure. I got to my destination 76G and could easily see the runway from 2300 feet even though there was an extensive layer of ground fog. I entered a left downwind for runway 22. I was communicating with cleveland center via relay with an air carrier. I was asked if I could cancel IFR and agreed to cancel even though my gut said it would be better not to. As I descended onto base leg; I lost sight of the runway. I turned final and once again picked up the field but I was too high and too fast to land; so I went around. I could again easily see the runway on downwind; but once again lost sight of the runway as I descended and turned base only to once again pick up the field too late to land safely. I abandoned my attempts to land at 76G. I climbed to 3000 feet and headed to my alternate via GPS direct while attempting to contact selfridge approach; cleveland center or an aircraft for a relay. I finally contacted selfridge approach after several attempts and explained what had happened. They cleared me to phn and to expect the ILS runway 4 approach. They vectored me extensively due to traffic in the sector. In the interim the AWOS indicated worsening weather at phn with ceilings below minimums. Since I was flying under part 91; I elected to fly the approach to have a 'look see.' I am familiar with the AWOS at this field and know that its accuracy is always suspect (it is usually either worse or better but rarely accurate). I broke out at minimums slightly to the west of the center line; corrected and landed with a lot of room to spare. In retrospect I should have listened to my gut and not cancelled my IFR flight plan even though there was a perception on my part that I was doing center a favor by doing so. No good deed goes unpunished. I was also vectored thru the final approach course several times intentionally and alerted that this was the intention of the controller. At one point I was cleared for the approach and the clearance was cancelled. I had loaded and activated the approach in the GPS (garmin 430) but I was surprised by its indication on at least two occasions during the approach. I always back up the number one navigation with the number two navigation (standard ILS/VOR receiver). I have hundreds of hours using this GPS/navigation/communication unit and periodically review the manual but I still face 'automation surprises' on rare occasion. The second time number one GPS navigation conflicted with number two navigation I switched off the GPS mode and went to VOR/ILS mode where upon I had agreement of the indications; flew the approach and landed. I do not know and did not ask why the initial approach clearance was cancelled. It was not the time to discuss it. I do not know if the first automation surprise of the number one navigation while in GPS mode led the controller to cancel my approach clearance or if there was an issue at his end. I was ready to join up when the clearance was cancelled. I have not yet determined why the GPS did not appear to capture the approach course even though activated. It seemed to only want to take me to the final approach fix from the point where I activated the approach rather than from where I actually was as I joined up. Perhaps the multiple intentional vectors thru the final approach course was beyond its logic to deal with. I will continue to refresh on the GPS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE55 PILOT FINDS HIMSELF DEALING WITH GROUND FOG AND DIVERTING TO HIS ALTERNATE IN PART BECAUSE HE HAS NO CONFIDENCE IN FSS ASSISTANCE.

Narrative: FSS HAS BECOME NEARLY USELESS. I CANNOT EVEN COUNT ON THEM ENTERING MY FLIGHT PLAN WHEN I HAVE SPOKEN TO A BRIEFER AND LISTENED TO THEM TYPE IT IN SO I HAVE TAKEN TO FILING AHEAD OF TIME BY COMPUTER. BY THE TIME I DEPARTED FOR 76G; MY ALTERNATE WAS BELOW LEGAL LIMITS FOR AN ALTERNATE. BUT CALLING FSS TO CORRECT THE ALTERNATE I THOUGHT WAS A LOSING PROPOSITION. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED MN CENTER TO CORRECT IT DURING DEPARTURE. I GOT TO MY DESTINATION 76G AND COULD EASILY SEE THE RWY FROM 2300 FEET EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS AN EXTENSIVE LAYER OF GROUND FOG. I ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22. I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH CLEVELAND CENTER VIA RELAY WITH AN AIR CARRIER. I WAS ASKED IF I COULD CANCEL IFR AND AGREED TO CANCEL EVEN THOUGH MY GUT SAID IT WOULD BE BETTER NOT TO. AS I DESCENDED ONTO BASE LEG; I LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY. I TURNED FINAL AND ONCE AGAIN PICKED UP THE FIELD BUT I WAS TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST TO LAND; SO I WENT AROUND. I COULD AGAIN EASILY SEE THE RWY ON DOWNWIND; BUT ONCE AGAIN LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY AS I DESCENDED AND TURNED BASE ONLY TO ONCE AGAIN PICK UP THE FIELD TOO LATE TO LAND SAFELY. I ABANDONED MY ATTEMPTS TO LAND AT 76G. I CLIMBED TO 3000 FEET AND HEADED TO MY ALTERNATE VIA GPS DIRECT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT SELFRIDGE APPROACH; CLEVELAND CENTER OR AN AIRCRAFT FOR A RELAY. I FINALLY CONTACTED SELFRIDGE APPROACH AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY CLEARED ME TO PHN AND TO EXPECT THE ILS RWY 4 APPROACH. THEY VECTORED ME EXTENSIVELY DUE TO TRAFFIC IN THE SECTOR. IN THE INTERIM THE AWOS INDICATED WORSENING WEATHER AT PHN WITH CEILINGS BELOW MINIMUMS. SINCE I WAS FLYING UNDER PART 91; I ELECTED TO FLY THE APPROACH TO HAVE A 'LOOK SEE.' I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE AWOS AT THIS FIELD AND KNOW THAT ITS ACCURACY IS ALWAYS SUSPECT (IT IS USUALLY EITHER WORSE OR BETTER BUT RARELY ACCURATE). I BROKE OUT AT MINIMUMS SLIGHTLY TO THE WEST OF THE CENTER LINE; CORRECTED AND LANDED WITH A LOT OF ROOM TO SPARE. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MY GUT AND NOT CANCELLED MY IFR FLIGHT PLAN EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A PERCEPTION ON MY PART THAT I WAS DOING CENTER A FAVOR BY DOING SO. NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. I WAS ALSO VECTORED THRU THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE SEVERAL TIMES INTENTIONALLY AND ALERTED THAT THIS WAS THE INTENTION OF THE CONTROLLER. AT ONE POINT I WAS CLEARED FOR THE APPROACH AND THE CLEARANCE WAS CANCELLED. I HAD LOADED AND ACTIVATED THE APPROACH IN THE GPS (GARMIN 430) BUT I WAS SURPRISED BY ITS INDICATION ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS DURING THE APPROACH. I ALWAYS BACK UP THE NUMBER ONE NAV WITH THE NUMBER TWO NAV (STANDARD ILS/VOR RECEIVER). I HAVE HUNDREDS OF HOURS USING THIS GPS/NAV/COM UNIT AND PERIODICALLY REVIEW THE MANUAL BUT I STILL FACE 'AUTOMATION SURPRISES' ON RARE OCCASION. THE SECOND TIME NUMBER ONE GPS NAV CONFLICTED WITH NUMBER TWO NAV I SWITCHED OFF THE GPS MODE AND WENT TO VOR/ILS MODE WHERE UPON I HAD AGREEMENT OF THE INDICATIONS; FLEW THE APPROACH AND LANDED. I DO NOT KNOW AND DID NOT ASK WHY THE INITIAL APPROACH CLEARANCE WAS CANCELLED. IT WAS NOT THE TIME TO DISCUSS IT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE FIRST AUTOMATION SURPRISE OF THE NUMBER ONE NAV WHILE IN GPS MODE LED THE CONTROLLER TO CANCEL MY APPROACH CLEARANCE OR IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE AT HIS END. I WAS READY TO JOIN UP WHEN THE CLEARANCE WAS CANCELLED. I HAVE NOT YET DETERMINED WHY THE GPS DID NOT APPEAR TO CAPTURE THE APPROACH COURSE EVEN THOUGH ACTIVATED. IT SEEMED TO ONLY WANT TO TAKE ME TO THE FINAL APPROACH FIX FROM THE POINT WHERE I ACTIVATED THE APPROACH RATHER THAN FROM WHERE I ACTUALLY WAS AS I JOINED UP. PERHAPS THE MULTIPLE INTENTIONAL VECTORS THRU THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE WAS BEYOND ITS LOGIC TO DEAL WITH. I WILL CONTINUE TO REFRESH ON THE GPS.

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.