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Pilot failed to close flight plan, made INS approach without clearance and landed at night on runway without lights.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 135726 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199001 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : njp |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : njp |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Military Trainer |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 2151 |
| ASRS Report | 135726 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On 1/X/90 I took off from jnp for a local flight. I decided to fly northwest of the airport en route to mpo. Upon my arrival I met with a friend, and then decided to grab a bite. The office was closed by then (at the airport), so I decided to call njp from where we were going to eat. I was scheduled to be back by XL00 hours, and couldn't get through until XL09. I spoke with the staff duty nco and also let him know that I needed the runway lights on, since it was already night. I usually call home and scan my messages from the answering machine. They had called from the base and wanted me to get in touch with them. They were looking for me because after I had never closed the flight plan. I took off from mpo. I couldn't get anyone on the radio for the remainder of the flight I couldn't communicate with anyone. After checking the flight time and knowing that I was getting close to the airport, navigation became more important than communication and proceeded to execute the VOR/DME runway 27. I constantly broadcasted in the blind. I decided to shoot the INS approach because when I idented the airport, the runway lights were not on, and that worried me. While I was circling to orient myself and positively idented the airfield, I drifted into the willow grove airspace, and possibly phl. I am an army helicopter pilot, and we train making approachs and lndgs with and west/O night vision goggles. Therefore, I was comfortable with landing at an unlit runway. After I touched down, I immediately noticed the red light coming from the tower and proceeded to pull to the side and stop. I thought they were on alert or had a disabled aircraft following me, because the fire trucks and the security patrol cars were racing toward the runway. It never crossed my mind that it was because of me. I heard a click, tried to contact the tower and I did so. I was then told to taxi and stop at the office for a debrief.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT FAILED TO CLOSE FLT PLAN, MADE INS APCH WITHOUT CLRNC AND LANDED AT NIGHT ON RWY WITHOUT LIGHTS.
Narrative: ON 1/X/90 I TOOK OFF FROM JNP FOR A LCL FLT. I DECIDED TO FLY NW OF THE ARPT ENRTE TO MPO. UPON MY ARR I MET WITH A FRIEND, AND THEN DECIDED TO GRAB A BITE. THE OFFICE WAS CLOSED BY THEN (AT THE ARPT), SO I DECIDED TO CALL NJP FROM WHERE WE WERE GOING TO EAT. I WAS SCHEDULED TO BE BACK BY XL00 HRS, AND COULDN'T GET THROUGH UNTIL XL09. I SPOKE WITH THE STAFF DUTY NCO AND ALSO LET HIM KNOW THAT I NEEDED THE RWY LIGHTS ON, SINCE IT WAS ALREADY NIGHT. I USUALLY CALL HOME AND SCAN MY MESSAGES FROM THE ANSWERING MACHINE. THEY HAD CALLED FROM THE BASE AND WANTED ME TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ME BECAUSE AFTER I HAD NEVER CLOSED THE FLT PLAN. I TOOK OFF FROM MPO. I COULDN'T GET ANYONE ON THE RADIO FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT I COULDN'T COMMUNICATE WITH ANYONE. AFTER CHKING THE FLT TIME AND KNOWING THAT I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE ARPT, NAV BECAME MORE IMPORTANT THAN COM AND PROCEEDED TO EXECUTE THE VOR/DME RWY 27. I CONSTANTLY BROADCASTED IN THE BLIND. I DECIDED TO SHOOT THE INS APCH BECAUSE WHEN I IDENTED THE ARPT, THE RWY LIGHTS WERE NOT ON, AND THAT WORRIED ME. WHILE I WAS CIRCLING TO ORIENT MYSELF AND POSITIVELY IDENTED THE AIRFIELD, I DRIFTED INTO THE WILLOW GROVE AIRSPACE, AND POSSIBLY PHL. I AM AN ARMY HELI PLT, AND WE TRAIN MAKING APCHS AND LNDGS WITH AND W/O NIGHT VISION GOGGLES. THEREFORE, I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH LNDG AT AN UNLIT RWY. AFTER I TOUCHED DOWN, I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE RED LIGHT COMING FROM THE TWR AND PROCEEDED TO PULL TO THE SIDE AND STOP. I THOUGHT THEY WERE ON ALERT OR HAD A DISABLED ACFT FOLLOWING ME, BECAUSE THE FIRE TRUCKS AND THE SECURITY PATROL CARS WERE RACING TOWARD THE RWY. IT NEVER CROSSED MY MIND THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF ME. I HEARD A CLICK, TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR AND I DID SO. I WAS THEN TOLD TO TAXI AND STOP AT THE OFFICE FOR A DEBRIEF.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.