PLT OF AN MO-20J DESCRIBES HIS ENTRY PROC INTO A NON TWR ARPT; T05; TX. HE HAD NOT FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND ATTEMPTED A VFR FLT USING A GPS WITH 'TIRED' BATTERIES. HE WAS NOT HAPPY WITH HIS PERFORMANCE.
Synopsis
PLT OF AN MO-20J DESCRIBES HIS ENTRY PROC INTO A NON TWR ARPT; T05; TX. HE HAD NOT FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND ATTEMPTED A VFR FLT USING A GPS WITH 'TIRED' BATTERIES. HE WAS NOT HAPPY WITH HIS PERFORMANCE.
Narrative
DEPARTED AUS VFR TO T05; CLBED TO 7500 FT. LATER; CEILING 5000 FT DEVELOPED ON RTE NEAR CORPUS AND CORPUS APCH HANDED ME TO VALLEY APCH WHO GAVE ME IFR CLRNC TO DSND TO 1500 FT OVER GULF. DID NOT BREAK OUT; SO VECTORED TO HRL FOR LOC BACK COURSE APCH. BROKE OUT HIGH OVER ARPT AND STUPIDLY ASKED PERMISSION TO CONTINUE VFR TO T05. 1/2 WAY THERE (5 MI); GPS BATTERIES FAILED; CEILING AND VISIBILITY LOWERED; LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH VALLEY APCH BECAUSE OF LOW ALT; AND WAS UNSURE OF POS. FINALLY FOUND T05 BY DEAD RECKONING AND MADE TERRIBLE XWIND LNDG. I SHOULD HAVE FILED IFR TO BEGIN WITH. MADE A POOR DECISION NOT TO FULL STOP LAND AT HRL WHERE I COULD HAVE PLOTTED A COURSE TO T05 BY VOR NAV IN ADDITION TO GPS AND COULD HAVE CHANGED GPS BATTERIES I KNEW WERE LOW. ALSO; NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH LOC BACK COURSE APCHS AND DID A POOR JOB OF ALT CTL. NEVER FULLY DEPEND ON HAND-HELD GPS FOR POS AND KEEP FRESH BATTERIES INSTALLED. NEVER CHANGE PLANS AFTER DIFFICULT AND UNFAMILIAR APCH. GET MORE PRACTICE AND INSTRUCTION IN LOC BACK COURSE APCHS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.