SMA PLT DSNDS BELOW STRAIGHT IN MINS; CIRCLES TO LAND WHEN HE FINDS HIMSELF UNABLE TO LAND ON RWY FROM THE INITIAL APCH.

Narrative

I WAS ON THE RNAV 28 APCH INTO E HAMPTON; NY (HTO). I DSNDED TO MINS; 500 FT NEAR THE MISSED APCH. I SAW THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AND DSNDED ANOTHER 100 FT FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE A NORMAL LNDG. HOWEVER; I WAS TO THE L OF THE RWY CENTERLINE AND ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY STILL AT 400 FT. I ELECTED TO CIRCLE AND LAND AND CLBED TO CIRCLING MINS OF 560 FT. THE LNDG WAS ENTERED FROM A DOWNWIND TO BASE TO A NORMAL LNDG. HOWEVER; THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT HOLDING OFF THE RWY WAITING FOR ME TO CANCEL MY IFR ONCE ON THE GND. AS SOON AS I LANDED THE WX DETERIORATED SIGNIFICANTLY TO PERHAPS 200 OVERCAST; 1 MI IN FOG. AT THE TIME OF MY LNDG IT WAS 600 OVERCAST 2 MI. THE REASON I AM WRITING THIS LETTER IS BECAUSE ABOUT 6 YRS AGO I WAS TURNED INTO THE FAA FOR FLYING IN THE CLOUDS BELOW LNDG MINS. HOPEFULLY THE AIRPLANE WAITING ON THE GND THIS TIME WASN'T DISPUTING MY APCH BUT THE WX HERE ON LONG ISLAND GOES UP AND DOWN RAPIDLY. IN RETROSPECT; I WOULD HAVE FELT MORE COMFORTABLE MISSING THIS APCH INSTEAD OF CIRCLING BUT I THOUGHT IF I HAD TO TRY AGAIN THE WX WOULD BE BELOW LNDG MINS SO I CONTINUED AND CIRCLED.