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Pilot of atx cargo twin descends below MDA during VOR 24 approach into teb thinking that he has the VASI lights in sight. In fact, he only had red obstruction lights in sight. Pilot got reoriented and landed safety.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 140801 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199002 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : teb |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : teb tower : cle |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : straight in |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 140801 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
From past experience (mistake #1), when the WX is near minimums, the first part of the airport environment to appear out of the mists, is the VASI lights for runway 24. As I descended from the curro stepdown fix to MDA, I spotted a pair of red lights which I assumed were part of the VASI. Fatigue and poor visibility conspired to slow my thought processes to a crawl. As I started descent below MDA towards what I thought was the runway, 2 things slowly became apparent. Where was the white light bar? And why were the red lights flashing? As I leveled off (about 300') the answer became apparent. I hadn't been heading towards the runway but towards obstruction lights on a 240' smokestack underlying the final approach. I then acquired the runway (and the real VASI lights) and landed uneventfully.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF ATX CARGO TWIN DESCENDS BELOW MDA DURING VOR 24 APCH INTO TEB THINKING THAT HE HAS THE VASI LIGHTS IN SIGHT. IN FACT, HE ONLY HAD RED OBSTRUCTION LIGHTS IN SIGHT. PLT GOT REORIENTED AND LANDED SAFETY.
Narrative: FROM PAST EXPERIENCE (MISTAKE #1), WHEN THE WX IS NEAR MINIMUMS, THE FIRST PART OF THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT TO APPEAR OUT OF THE MISTS, IS THE VASI LIGHTS FOR RWY 24. AS I DESCENDED FROM THE CURRO STEPDOWN FIX TO MDA, I SPOTTED A PAIR OF RED LIGHTS WHICH I ASSUMED WERE PART OF THE VASI. FATIGUE AND POOR VISIBILITY CONSPIRED TO SLOW MY THOUGHT PROCESSES TO A CRAWL. AS I STARTED DSCNT BELOW MDA TOWARDS WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY, 2 THINGS SLOWLY BECAME APPARENT. WHERE WAS THE WHITE LIGHT BAR? AND WHY WERE THE RED LIGHTS FLASHING? AS I LEVELED OFF (ABOUT 300') THE ANSWER BECAME APPARENT. I HADN'T BEEN HDG TOWARDS THE RWY BUT TOWARDS OBSTRUCTION LIGHTS ON A 240' SMOKESTACK UNDERLYING THE FINAL APCH. I THEN ACQUIRED THE RWY (AND THE REAL VASI LIGHTS) AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.
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.