Narrative:

At the time of this approach (approximately XX15) I was a little tired, having flown from ism (4.2) evading thunderstorms along the entire route, etc. I had purposely slept late that morning until XA00 am to be properly rested for the return flight, but late passenger delayed the departure 1 1/2 hours also. I was using the autoplt to reduce crew load and it had properly captured the ILS. At the marker I selected gear down and found no nose gear light. Approach had transferred me to tower, and I was instructed to reduce airspeed to minimum approach for timing, to allow another aircraft to land first. Fearing possible complete hydraulic fluid loss, I wanted to break the approach as soon as possible and troubleshoot the problem away from the airport. I didn't want to run right up to the airport and have to worry about conflicting traffic, maintaining a reduced airspeed, and my gear problem all at once. So, I started a gradual right turn away from the airport and towards lake st clair, and started increasing airspeed to a more comfortable speed. I wanted to notify tower immediately, but the frequency was congested for a few seconds. As soon as possible, I told them I had a gear problem and was breaking off the approach to troubleshoot the gear problem. I saw traffic above me going north to south, which would be no factor. I initiated a slow climb back up from the G/south descent with the go around button on the power lever and armed the altitude capture for 4000'. For some reason, it didn't capture at 3.5. I was dividing my attention with the poh landing gear section and didn't catch it until 4400'. By this time, I had recontacted approach who wasn't happy about me breaking off the approach, and climbing. I completed the troubleshooting procedures, conducted a fly-by the det tower who used their green light to inspect the nosegear, and then landed west/O further incident. I think a better action would have been to climb to continue the approach course rather than turning, but I didn't want to enter the congestion around the airport and elected to proceed northeast VFR. Causes: frequency congestion. The need to act quickly when considering the possibility of rapid hydraulic fluid loss. I was a little tired and not as sharp as in the first of the day. Also, the fact that I had never mentally put myself in this situation prior to flight, so as to have some kind of preplanned course of action or priorities. I remember my high school baseball coach spending hours, sitting on the bench with us playing 'mental baseball,' ie, 'what are you going to do if...' although I have thought through all kinds of in-flight situations in my mind, I never thought of this one before. This type of reaction mental planning is my way of combatting the 'fat, dumb and happy' syndrome, but when faced with this situation, I just did the best that I could, which may have resulted in some inadvertent airspace incursion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE PLT IFR FORCED TO MAKE GO AROUND WHEN NOSE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ON. FAILED TO FOLLOW MISSED APCH PROC.

Narrative: AT THE TIME OF THIS APCH (APPROX XX15) I WAS A LITTLE TIRED, HAVING FLOWN FROM ISM (4.2) EVADING TSTMS ALONG THE ENTIRE ROUTE, ETC. I HAD PURPOSELY SLEPT LATE THAT MORNING UNTIL XA00 AM TO BE PROPERLY RESTED FOR THE RETURN FLT, BUT LATE PAX DELAYED THE DEP 1 1/2 HRS ALSO. I WAS USING THE AUTOPLT TO REDUCE CREW LOAD AND IT HAD PROPERLY CAPTURED THE ILS. AT THE MARKER I SELECTED GEAR DOWN AND FOUND NO NOSE GEAR LIGHT. APCH HAD TRANSFERRED ME TO TWR, AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO REDUCE AIRSPD TO MINIMUM APCH FOR TIMING, TO ALLOW ANOTHER ACFT TO LAND FIRST. FEARING POSSIBLE COMPLETE HYD FLUID LOSS, I WANTED TO BREAK THE APCH ASAP AND TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB AWAY FROM THE ARPT. I DIDN'T WANT TO RUN RIGHT UP TO THE ARPT AND HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CONFLICTING TFC, MAINTAINING A REDUCED AIRSPD, AND MY GEAR PROB ALL AT ONCE. SO, I STARTED A GRADUAL RIGHT TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT AND TOWARDS LAKE ST CLAIR, AND STARTED INCREASING AIRSPD TO A MORE COMFORTABLE SPD. I WANTED TO NOTIFY TWR IMMEDIATELY, BUT THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED FOR A FEW SECS. ASAP, I TOLD THEM I HAD A GEAR PROB AND WAS BREAKING OFF THE APCH TO TROUBLESHOOT THE GEAR PROB. I SAW TFC ABOVE ME GOING N TO S, WHICH WOULD BE NO FACTOR. I INITIATED A SLOW CLB BACK UP FROM THE G/S DSCNT WITH THE GO AROUND BUTTON ON THE PWR LEVER AND ARMED THE ALT CAPTURE FOR 4000'. FOR SOME REASON, IT DIDN'T CAPTURE AT 3.5. I WAS DIVIDING MY ATTN WITH THE POH LNDG GEAR SECTION AND DIDN'T CATCH IT UNTIL 4400'. BY THIS TIME, I HAD RECONTACTED APCH WHO WASN'T HAPPY ABOUT ME BREAKING OFF THE APCH, AND CLBING. I COMPLETED THE TROUBLESHOOTING PROCS, CONDUCTED A FLY-BY THE DET TWR WHO USED THEIR GREEN LIGHT TO INSPECT THE NOSEGEAR, AND THEN LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. I THINK A BETTER ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CLB TO CONTINUE THE APCH COURSE RATHER THAN TURNING, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO ENTER THE CONGESTION AROUND THE ARPT AND ELECTED TO PROCEED NE VFR. CAUSES: FREQ CONGESTION. THE NEED TO ACT QUICKLY WHEN CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF RAPID HYD FLUID LOSS. I WAS A LITTLE TIRED AND NOT AS SHARP AS IN THE FIRST OF THE DAY. ALSO, THE FACT THAT I HAD NEVER MENTALLY PUT MYSELF IN THIS SITUATION PRIOR TO FLT, SO AS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PREPLANNED COURSE OF ACTION OR PRIORITIES. I REMEMBER MY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL COACH SPENDING HRS, SITTING ON THE BENCH WITH US PLAYING 'MENTAL BASEBALL,' IE, 'WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF...' ALTHOUGH I HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH ALL KINDS OF INFLT SITUATIONS IN MY MIND, I NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS ONE BEFORE. THIS TYPE OF REACTION MENTAL PLANNING IS MY WAY OF COMBATTING THE 'FAT, DUMB AND HAPPY' SYNDROME, BUT WHEN FACED WITH THIS SITUATION, I JUST DID THE BEST THAT I COULD, WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN SOME INADVERTENT AIRSPACE INCURSION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.