2002-04 · NASA ASRS report 544139
AN M20P PLT; ON AN IFR APCH TO TROY; MI; UNABLE TO LAND; MADE A CIRCLING APCH; LNDG IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
WHILE FLYING A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO MINIMUMS AT AN UNCTLED ARPT; I SAW THE ARPT; DECIDED TO LAND; DSNDED FURTHER; REALIZED I WAS TOO LATE TO MAKE LNDG AS PLANNED; MADE A SPONTANEOUS DECISION TO CIRCLE TO LAND; KEPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT; AND SUCCESSFULLY LANDED ON THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY. ONLY AFTER REVIEW ON THE GND DID I REALIZE THAT MY SPONTANEOUS DECISION TO CIRCLE TO LAND WAS A MISTAKE. I'VE HAD MY INST LICENSE FOR 2 YRS AND HAVE FLOWN REGULARLY AND PRUDENTLY DURING THAT TIME TO BUILD EXPERIENCE. THIS WAS MY FIRST APCH TO HARD MINIMUMS AND IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT; I MADE A SPONTANEOUS DECISION THAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM MY ORIGINAL PLANNED COURSE OF ACTION. ON REFLECTION; I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS AN EASY WAY TO PREVENT SOMEONE ELSE FROM MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE I MADE EXCEPT TO REMIND PLTS THAT MAKING SPONTANEOUS DECISIONS AT MINIMUM ALTS IS NOT WISE -- IT'S BETTER TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH ONE'S ORIGINAL PLAN OF ATTACK AND MAKE NEW CHOICES DURING A MISSED APCH OR ANOTHER TIME OF LOWER STRESS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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