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Low experience GA pilot flies small aircraft into air traffic area of aff due to radio malfunction that caused lost communication situation when actual destination was cos.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 121710 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198909 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : aff airport : cos |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9572 msl bound upper : 7200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : cos tower : aff |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 62 flight time total : 270 flight time type : 120 |
| ASRS Report | 121710 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
Encroached on usafa air traffic area while attempting to land at colorado springs municipal with assistance of cos approach. Pilot unfamiliar with area, this being first flight to this area. While descending from 11,500' at ioc, to cos, contacted cos approach. Was given 260 vector in the vicinity of cos. While flying this vector, with mode C squawking, no new vectors were forthcoming. Saw airport in distance ahead, assumed it to be cos. Kept flying 260 heading towards field while descending to 7200' MSL. Discovered intercom and radio #1 not working. Continued flying 260 heading in lieu of new vectors. Discovered passenger (?) had inadvertently killed power to intercom and #1 radio. Immediately upon restoration of power, contacted cos approach to advise loss of radio contact and was given new vectors. However, by this time we were directly over usafa field and could recognize this was not where we wanted to be. Obvious corrective action: keep intercom and radio power on. Less obvious factor: the west coast gri 9940 LORAN chain reception got flaky east of den, maybe due to storm 20 mi south of den, and although it started working better closer to cos, we had switched over to VOR navigation and lost our distance information since we don't have DME. On previous flts from the west coast the gri 9940 has worked into nebraska. We were surprised by the flaky action east of denver. Perhaps closing the mid continent LORAN gap will make LORAN more dependable in den and cos area, especially when thunderstorms are in the area.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LOW EXPERIENCE GA PLT FLIES SMA INTO ATA OF AFF DUE TO RADIO MALFUNCTION THAT CAUSED LOST COM SITUATION WHEN ACTUAL DESTINATION WAS COS.
Narrative: ENCROACHED ON USAFA ATA WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT COLORADO SPRINGS MUNI WITH ASSISTANCE OF COS APCH. PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH AREA, THIS BEING FIRST FLT TO THIS AREA. WHILE DESCENDING FROM 11,500' AT IOC, TO COS, CONTACTED COS APCH. WAS GIVEN 260 VECTOR IN THE VICINITY OF COS. WHILE FLYING THIS VECTOR, WITH MODE C SQUAWKING, NO NEW VECTORS WERE FORTHCOMING. SAW ARPT IN DISTANCE AHEAD, ASSUMED IT TO BE COS. KEPT FLYING 260 HDG TOWARDS FIELD WHILE DESCENDING TO 7200' MSL. DISCOVERED INTERCOM AND RADIO #1 NOT WORKING. CONTINUED FLYING 260 HDG IN LIEU OF NEW VECTORS. DISCOVERED PAX (?) HAD INADVERTENTLY KILLED POWER TO INTERCOM AND #1 RADIO. IMMEDIATELY UPON RESTORATION OF POWER, CONTACTED COS APCH TO ADVISE LOSS OF RADIO CONTACT AND WAS GIVEN NEW VECTORS. HOWEVER, BY THIS TIME WE WERE DIRECTLY OVER USAFA FIELD AND COULD RECOGNIZE THIS WAS NOT WHERE WE WANTED TO BE. OBVIOUS CORRECTIVE ACTION: KEEP INTERCOM AND RADIO POWER ON. LESS OBVIOUS FACTOR: THE WEST COAST GRI 9940 LORAN CHAIN RECEPTION GOT FLAKY EAST OF DEN, MAYBE DUE TO STORM 20 MI SOUTH OF DEN, AND ALTHOUGH IT STARTED WORKING BETTER CLOSER TO COS, WE HAD SWITCHED OVER TO VOR NAVIGATION AND LOST OUR DISTANCE INFO SINCE WE DON'T HAVE DME. ON PREVIOUS FLTS FROM THE WEST COAST THE GRI 9940 HAS WORKED INTO NEBRASKA. WE WERE SURPRISED BY THE FLAKY ACTION EAST OF DENVER. PERHAPS CLOSING THE MID CONTINENT LORAN GAP WILL MAKE LORAN MORE DEPENDABLE IN DEN AND COS AREA, ESPECIALLY WHEN TSTMS ARE IN THE AREA.
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.