 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Flight crew of air carrier medium large transport arriving at alb inadvertently lines up with runway at sch instead.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 138466 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199003 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : alb |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : alb tower : sch |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 138466 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
In our descent, it was easy to see 2 airports: sch and then alb--and realizing we were low, I asked for a vector for a tighter base leg. This was granted, so I set the copilot's radios for alb. My radio remained on alb VOR. About that time the copilot began turning left, after being cleared for a visibility to runway 19 at alb. Approach control asked if we were looking at sch instead of alb. The left bank blocked my view, so I asked why we were turning left. 'To lose altitude,' he answered. I told approach that we were planning a pattern for the correct airport. When we turned final the runway was directly ahead. I busily responded to the copilot's landing commands and proceeded with the checklist. When approach questioned our pattern again, I checked my VOR and the first officer's ILS, which both indicated we were lined up on a mystery runway. We accepted a vector of 130 degrees for alb, which was already hidden by hills, and landed on the correct runway at the correct airport. When questioned by approach control, my first thought was my excellent copilot was infallible. We were the victim of excessive tailwinds. Being the 'expert pilot' that I am, I know I would have caught the error after my cockpit checklist was completed. On the other hand, there was an approach controller at alb who was not lulled into indifference by our self-confidence, a sunny day and light traffic. My heartfelt gratitude is extended to him for his professionalism.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF ACR MLG ARRIVING AT ALB INADVERTENTLY LINES UP WITH RWY AT SCH INSTEAD.
Narrative: IN OUR DSCNT, IT WAS EASY TO SEE 2 ARPTS: SCH AND THEN ALB--AND REALIZING WE WERE LOW, I ASKED FOR A VECTOR FOR A TIGHTER BASE LEG. THIS WAS GRANTED, SO I SET THE COPLT'S RADIOS FOR ALB. MY RADIO REMAINED ON ALB VOR. ABOUT THAT TIME THE COPLT BEGAN TURNING LEFT, AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VIS TO RWY 19 AT ALB. APCH CTL ASKED IF WE WERE LOOKING AT SCH INSTEAD OF ALB. THE LEFT BANK BLOCKED MY VIEW, SO I ASKED WHY WE WERE TURNING LEFT. 'TO LOSE ALT,' HE ANSWERED. I TOLD APCH THAT WE WERE PLANNING A PATTERN FOR THE CORRECT ARPT. WHEN WE TURNED FINAL THE RWY WAS DIRECTLY AHEAD. I BUSILY RESPONDED TO THE COPLT'S LNDG COMMANDS AND PROCEEDED WITH THE CHKLIST. WHEN APCH QUESTIONED OUR PATTERN AGAIN, I CHKED MY VOR AND THE F/O'S ILS, WHICH BOTH INDICATED WE WERE LINED UP ON A MYSTERY RWY. WE ACCEPTED A VECTOR OF 130 DEGS FOR ALB, WHICH WAS ALREADY HIDDEN BY HILLS, AND LANDED ON THE CORRECT RWY AT THE CORRECT ARPT. WHEN QUESTIONED BY APCH CTL, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS MY EXCELLENT COPLT WAS INFALLIBLE. WE WERE THE VICTIM OF EXCESSIVE TAILWINDS. BEING THE 'EXPERT PLT' THAT I AM, I KNOW I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR AFTER MY COCKPIT CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WAS AN APCH CTLR AT ALB WHO WAS NOT LULLED INTO INDIFFERENCE BY OUR SELF-CONFIDENCE, A SUNNY DAY AND LIGHT TFC. MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE IS EXTENDED TO HIM FOR HIS PROFESSIONALISM.
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.