C182 PLT DSNDED BELOW CIRCLING MINIMUMS AFTER THE PLT MISREAD THE APCH CHART. THE PLT WAS NOT WEARING HIS READING GLASSES.

Narrative

OBTAINED WX FOR WKEND TRIP WITH PAX TO THE AKRON AREA WITH 3 OPTIONS FOR DEST ARPTS. SINCE WX WAS AT MINIMUMS FOR MOST OF THE NON PRECISION APCHS; I ELIMINATED FIRST CHOICE WHICH HAD A VOR APCH WITH STATION 21 MI FROM FIELD. SELECTED OPTION 2 WITH LOC/DME APCH AND KNEW OPTION 3 HAD AN ILS LESS THAN 10 MINS IF OPTION 2 WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. PRIOR TO ARR AT AKR; I OBTAINED THE LCL WX AND BRIEFED MYSELF ON THE PROC; BUT NOT THE CIRCLE-TO-LAND MINIMUMS. I MISSED ON FIRST APCH DUE TO PLT MAKING A POOR APCH AND ADVISED CTLR; IF MISSED AGAIN; GOING TO OPTION 3 WITH THE ILS. DURING THE APCH; I MENTALLY PREPARED MYSELF TO GO MISSED AGAIN WITH THE APCH BEING JUST A FORMALITY. 0.1 MI PRIOR TO THE DME; I WAS ABOUT TO ADD PWR FOR THE MISSED WHEN WE BROKE OUT RIGHT AT THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS AND ALIGNED WITH THE RWY. WHILE I AM NOT REQUIRED BY MY MEDICAL CERTIFICATION TO WEAR CORRECTIVE LENSES; I CARRY READING GLASSES ON A LANYARD AROUND MY NECK TO READ CHARTS BECAUSE WITH AGE; MY EYES FOR READING ARE CHANGING RAPIDLY; BUT WAS NOT WEARING THEM. I LOOKED ON THE CHART FOR THE CIRCLING MINIMUMS AND MISREAD THE FIGURE TO READ THE SAME AS THE STRAIGHT-IN MINIMUMS. AS I TURNED L AND FLEW OVER A TALL BUILDING ON THE FIELD; IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I WAS NOT AT THE CORRECT CIRCLE-TO-LAND ALT WHICH WAS 100 FT ABOVE THE STRAIGHT-IN MINIMUM. A LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT; BUT IN RETROSPECT; A MISSED DECISION WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAFER CHOICE.