Narrative:

WX for our destination from prior to departure until our last WX check about 10 mins or so from landing indicated that current conditions were steady at approximately 4500 ft overcast and 10 mi visibility with no precipitation. Forecast for arrival did include tempo of reduced ceilings and visibility but for last hour plus all reports of actual conditions were approximately 4500 ft overcast; 10 mi visibility. The controller also reported that aircraft were picking up the airport by uconn and below 8000 ft. We were approaching uconn FAF and IAF from the east at about a 90 degree angle to the approach course for runway 20. We were on a base leg to uconn expecting to pick up the airport. We had visual ground contact and I picked up the airport intermittently and it looked as if we were just in the cloud bases and if we lost a couple hundred ft we could go visual. We were cleared for the ILS to runway 20 to maintain 8000 ft till past uconn outbound. At 90 degrees to my course; approaching uconn; the FMS sequenced past uconn (which is normal when close to fix). Before committing to the outbound turn (right) I used this sequencing change as fix passage and vacated 8000 ft hoping to pick up the airport visually and request left turn for visual approach to runway 20. After losing about 200-400 ft we were still not completely visual but we had ground contact and intermittent glimpses of the airport. At this time I realized I was trying too hard; for no good reason; to shoot the visual approach. I initiated a right turn to intercept the outbound full procedure. Due to the fact that I wasted time and distance trying to pick up the visual; I decided to climb back to 8000 ft just in case I got farther west than I wanted re-establishing my outbound course. The outbound course altitude is 6700 ft; which we remained well above the entire time until GS intercept inbound. When the FMS sequenced past uconn; I should have just used that lead it gave to join the outbound and descend to 6700 ft to conduct the full procedure instead of trying to use that as another opportunity to pick up the airport for a visual approach. Trying hard is often good; but in this case my 'get it done' attitude; my expectations and perceptions led me to pursue a less than ideal course of action. Great lesson.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MDT; ANXIOUS TO MAKE VISUAL APCH TO IDA IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS; HAS TRACK DEV IN IMC WHILE HEADING OUTBOUND FROM FAF FOR PROCEDURE TURN.

Narrative: WX FOR OUR DEST FROM PRIOR TO DEP UNTIL OUR LAST WX CHK ABOUT 10 MINS OR SO FROM LNDG INDICATED THAT CURRENT CONDITIONS WERE STEADY AT APPROX 4500 FT OVCST AND 10 MI VISIBILITY WITH NO PRECIP. FORECAST FOR ARR DID INCLUDE TEMPO OF REDUCED CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY BUT FOR LAST HR PLUS ALL RPTS OF ACTUAL CONDITIONS WERE APPROX 4500 FT OVCST; 10 MI VISIBILITY. THE CTLR ALSO RPTED THAT ACFT WERE PICKING UP THE ARPT BY UCONN AND BELOW 8000 FT. WE WERE APCHING UCONN FAF AND IAF FROM THE E AT ABOUT A 90 DEG ANGLE TO THE APCH COURSE FOR RWY 20. WE WERE ON A BASE LEG TO UCONN EXPECTING TO PICK UP THE ARPT. WE HAD VISUAL GND CONTACT AND I PICKED UP THE ARPT INTERMITTENTLY AND IT LOOKED AS IF WE WERE JUST IN THE CLOUD BASES AND IF WE LOST A COUPLE HUNDRED FT WE COULD GO VISUAL. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS TO RWY 20 TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT TILL PAST UCONN OUTBOUND. AT 90 DEGS TO MY COURSE; APCHING UCONN; THE FMS SEQUENCED PAST UCONN (WHICH IS NORMAL WHEN CLOSE TO FIX). BEFORE COMMITTING TO THE OUTBOUND TURN (R) I USED THIS SEQUENCING CHANGE AS FIX PASSAGE AND VACATED 8000 FT HOPING TO PICK UP THE ARPT VISUALLY AND REQUEST L TURN FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 20. AFTER LOSING ABOUT 200-400 FT WE WERE STILL NOT COMPLETELY VISUAL BUT WE HAD GND CONTACT AND INTERMITTENT GLIMPSES OF THE ARPT. AT THIS TIME I REALIZED I WAS TRYING TOO HARD; FOR NO GOOD REASON; TO SHOOT THE VISUAL APCH. I INITIATED A R TURN TO INTERCEPT THE OUTBOUND FULL PROC. DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WASTED TIME AND DISTANCE TRYING TO PICK UP THE VISUAL; I DECIDED TO CLB BACK TO 8000 FT JUST IN CASE I GOT FARTHER W THAN I WANTED RE-ESTABLISHING MY OUTBOUND COURSE. THE OUTBOUND COURSE ALT IS 6700 FT; WHICH WE REMAINED WELL ABOVE THE ENTIRE TIME UNTIL GS INTERCEPT INBOUND. WHEN THE FMS SEQUENCED PAST UCONN; I SHOULD HAVE JUST USED THAT LEAD IT GAVE TO JOIN THE OUTBOUND AND DSND TO 6700 FT TO CONDUCT THE FULL PROC INSTEAD OF TRYING TO USE THAT AS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO PICK UP THE ARPT FOR A VISUAL APCH. TRYING HARD IS OFTEN GOOD; BUT IN THIS CASE MY 'GET IT DONE' ATTITUDE; MY EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS LED ME TO PURSUE A LESS THAN IDEAL COURSE OF ACTION. GREAT LESSON.

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.