Narrative:

You probably have read this one before. Mistake #1 (just plain dumb) but not illegal was to forget that AWOS/ASOS stations give ht of ceilings above ground level. This led me to believe that I needed to find an alternate. Not a problem since I was still over 20 NM from my intended point of arrival. Mistake #2 -- failure to stay ahead of the aircraft in the approach which in itself encompasses many failures which this will contain. I was given a clearance for the VOR/DME approach. We crossed the VOR at 3000 ft MSL and proceeded outbound on the proper radial towards the (IAF). At this point we needed to perform a procedure turn to set up for the inbound leg of the approach. I was still at 3000 ft MSL as we crossed IAF and started a timer for the outbound portion of the approach. 1 min later I started a turn to the right to track on a 45 degree outbound for the procedure turn. Here I failed to reset my VOR indicator so that it would not give reverse sensing. I reported the procedure turn inbound and continued with my timing all the while scanning the big six and the VOR indicator. It was about 20 seconds later that I realized that I had a tailwind pushing me towards the final approach course and I still had not reset my VOR indicator to the inbound course for the approach. I quickly twisted the obs to correct radial and proceeded to correct my position. Here was the next mistake; I should have gone missed since I had just blown through the final approach course. Mistake #3 -- while this is going on I had still faithfully held my altitude thinking I could not start a descent until inbound. So here I am correcting my position on the inbound course and trying to (desperately) get down to my altitude. I failed miserably by being somewhere between 2000-2500 ft and already inside of IAF which was 2 mi from the vdp and 3.8 mi from the runway threshold. I should have gone missed! Mistake #4 (wait it gets better) -- realizing that my altitude was not where it should be and that I was well within range of the vdp I pulled power; threw in full flaps (inside the white arc); and used what I felt (at the time) were 'normal maneuvers' to descend to the airport. I should have gone missed! I realize now there was no rush to get on the ground. I had plenty of fuel beginning the trip; about 3.5 hours worth. I should have gone missed and restarted the approach taking into consideration that there were winds out of the west conspiring to make a mockery of my procedure turn. The problem arose from several reasons. The first being that I had not flown an actual approach in the past 3 months; I had flown practice approachs and then only with a student. I did not properly brief myself prior to starting the approach more than likely because I was overconfident in my skills. I also did not ask those 3 wise words I even ask my own students...'what are the next 2 things I need to do?' I realized all of my mistakes as I was reacquiring the inbound course; trying to slow and descend the aircraft; and be sure I did not bust minimums on the descent. I am not sure what to say next. I landed safely on the runway but should have gone missed and flown the approach again. I am writing this report thinking of the postflt brief I will have with my student tomorrow morning. I will let him know my mistakes on the approach along with each point at which I should have gone missed during the approach along with the reasons for this. I defeated myself by forgetting that AWOS/ASOS report ceilings above ground level. This led to the inaccurate decision to continue on to another airport. Once I realized my mistake I did not slow myself down and fully brief the approach. The corrective action will be to report to the chief instructor and review approach briefings and procedures as well as fly a few approachs with the chief instructor. Then I will admit a mistake and teach the student the correct decision making process for a missed approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PILOT DESCRIBES MISTAKES MADE DURING NIGHT IMC VOR/DME APPROACH.

Narrative: YOU PROBABLY HAVE READ THIS ONE BEFORE. MISTAKE #1 (JUST PLAIN DUMB) BUT NOT ILLEGAL WAS TO FORGET THAT AWOS/ASOS STATIONS GIVE HT OF CEILINGS ABOVE GND LEVEL. THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT I NEEDED TO FIND AN ALTERNATE. NOT A PROB SINCE I WAS STILL OVER 20 NM FROM MY INTENDED POINT OF ARR. MISTAKE #2 -- FAILURE TO STAY AHEAD OF THE ACFT IN THE APCH WHICH IN ITSELF ENCOMPASSES MANY FAILURES WHICH THIS WILL CONTAIN. I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC FOR THE VOR/DME APCH. WE CROSSED THE VOR AT 3000 FT MSL AND PROCEEDED OUTBOUND ON THE PROPER RADIAL TOWARDS THE (IAF). AT THIS POINT WE NEEDED TO PERFORM A PROC TURN TO SET UP FOR THE INBOUND LEG OF THE APCH. I WAS STILL AT 3000 FT MSL AS WE CROSSED IAF AND STARTED A TIMER FOR THE OUTBOUND PORTION OF THE APCH. 1 MIN LATER I STARTED A TURN TO THE R TO TRACK ON A 45 DEG OUTBOUND FOR THE PROC TURN. HERE I FAILED TO RESET MY VOR INDICATOR SO THAT IT WOULD NOT GIVE REVERSE SENSING. I RPTED THE PROC TURN INBOUND AND CONTINUED WITH MY TIMING ALL THE WHILE SCANNING THE BIG SIX AND THE VOR INDICATOR. IT WAS ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD A TAILWIND PUSHING ME TOWARDS THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND I STILL HAD NOT RESET MY VOR INDICATOR TO THE INBOUND COURSE FOR THE APCH. I QUICKLY TWISTED THE OBS TO CORRECT RADIAL AND PROCEEDED TO CORRECT MY POS. HERE WAS THE NEXT MISTAKE; I SHOULD HAVE GONE MISSED SINCE I HAD JUST BLOWN THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE. MISTAKE #3 -- WHILE THIS IS GOING ON I HAD STILL FAITHFULLY HELD MY ALT THINKING I COULD NOT START A DSCNT UNTIL INBOUND. SO HERE I AM CORRECTING MY POS ON THE INBOUND COURSE AND TRYING TO (DESPERATELY) GET DOWN TO MY ALT. I FAILED MISERABLY BY BEING SOMEWHERE BTWN 2000-2500 FT AND ALREADY INSIDE OF IAF WHICH WAS 2 MI FROM THE VDP AND 3.8 MI FROM THE RWY THRESHOLD. I SHOULD HAVE GONE MISSED! MISTAKE #4 (WAIT IT GETS BETTER) -- REALIZING THAT MY ALT WAS NOT WHERE IT SHOULD BE AND THAT I WAS WELL WITHIN RANGE OF THE VDP I PULLED PWR; THREW IN FULL FLAPS (INSIDE THE WHITE ARC); AND USED WHAT I FELT (AT THE TIME) WERE 'NORMAL MANEUVERS' TO DSND TO THE ARPT. I SHOULD HAVE GONE MISSED! I REALIZE NOW THERE WAS NO RUSH TO GET ON THE GND. I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL BEGINNING THE TRIP; ABOUT 3.5 HRS WORTH. I SHOULD HAVE GONE MISSED AND RESTARTED THE APCH TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THERE WERE WINDS OUT OF THE W CONSPIRING TO MAKE A MOCKERY OF MY PROC TURN. THE PROB AROSE FROM SEVERAL REASONS. THE FIRST BEING THAT I HAD NOT FLOWN AN ACTUAL APCH IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS; I HAD FLOWN PRACTICE APCHS AND THEN ONLY WITH A STUDENT. I DID NOT PROPERLY BRIEF MYSELF PRIOR TO STARTING THE APCH MORE THAN LIKELY BECAUSE I WAS OVERCONFIDENT IN MY SKILLS. I ALSO DID NOT ASK THOSE 3 WISE WORDS I EVEN ASK MY OWN STUDENTS...'WHAT ARE THE NEXT 2 THINGS I NEED TO DO?' I REALIZED ALL OF MY MISTAKES AS I WAS REACQUIRING THE INBOUND COURSE; TRYING TO SLOW AND DSND THE ACFT; AND BE SURE I DID NOT BUST MINIMUMS ON THE DSCNT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY NEXT. I LANDED SAFELY ON THE RWY BUT SHOULD HAVE GONE MISSED AND FLOWN THE APCH AGAIN. I AM WRITING THIS RPT THINKING OF THE POSTFLT BRIEF I WILL HAVE WITH MY STUDENT TOMORROW MORNING. I WILL LET HIM KNOW MY MISTAKES ON THE APCH ALONG WITH EACH POINT AT WHICH I SHOULD HAVE GONE MISSED DURING THE APCH ALONG WITH THE REASONS FOR THIS. I DEFEATED MYSELF BY FORGETTING THAT AWOS/ASOS RPT CEILINGS ABOVE GND LEVEL. THIS LED TO THE INACCURATE DECISION TO CONTINUE ON TO ANOTHER ARPT. ONCE I REALIZED MY MISTAKE I DID NOT SLOW MYSELF DOWN AND FULLY BRIEF THE APCH. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TO RPT TO THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR AND REVIEW APCH BRIEFINGS AND PROCS AS WELL AS FLY A FEW APCHS WITH THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR. THEN I WILL ADMIT A MISTAKE AND TEACH THE STUDENT THE CORRECT DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR A MISSED APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.