Narrative:

We were descending on the roslyn lda runway 18 approach. WX was reporting clear, visibility 4 miles fog/haze, winds 210/09. Upon reaching the 3.5 DME map, started the turn out over the river. We had flaps 30 and gear down on speed. I rolled out to the turn to the left. When I turned I could not see the buildings so I started the turn back to the right and over the river to follow it to the airport. I still did not descend below 1100' (MDA). I may have turned a little too early and came to close to the newspaper building and set off the noise sensors. I feel the main problems were: limited visibility and making 'steep turns' at the low airspeed and close to the ground as the approach chart calls for, creating optical illusions for distance perception. On duty for 13 hours and 10 minutes, 7 hours and 26 minutes of flying for the day, causing fatigue. Airline announced massive layoffs and terminations that day causing extreme stress and diverting attention. I believe the approach in itself is an unsafe maneuver. Visibility at the airport was less than what was reported on ATIS making the approach marginal, but legal. Estimated as 3 1/2 miles. Since I have never flown the approach before I did not know what to expect. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Reporter described the difficulty a pilot has adjusting the map light in this model aircraft. Due to this problem, he had not adjusted the light properly and therefore did not study his approach chart adequately. Because of that, he simply flew the wrong track for this approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ON ROSSLYN LDA APCH FLEW TOO CLOSE TO THE CITY AND MAY HAVE SET OFF A NOISE MONITOR.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING ON THE ROSLYN LDA RWY 18 APCH. WX WAS RPTING CLEAR, VISIBILITY 4 MILES FOG/HAZE, WINDS 210/09. UPON REACHING THE 3.5 DME MAP, STARTED THE TURN OUT OVER THE RIVER. WE HAD FLAPS 30 AND GEAR DOWN ON SPEED. I ROLLED OUT TO THE TURN TO THE LEFT. WHEN I TURNED I COULD NOT SEE THE BUILDINGS SO I STARTED THE TURN BACK TO THE RIGHT AND OVER THE RIVER TO FOLLOW IT TO THE ARPT. I STILL DID NOT DSND BELOW 1100' (MDA). I MAY HAVE TURNED A LITTLE TOO EARLY AND CAME TO CLOSE TO THE NEWSPAPER BUILDING AND SET OFF THE NOISE SENSORS. I FEEL THE MAIN PROBS WERE: LIMITED VISIBILITY AND MAKING 'STEEP TURNS' AT THE LOW AIRSPD AND CLOSE TO THE GND AS THE APCH CHART CALLS FOR, CREATING OPTICAL ILLUSIONS FOR DISTANCE PERCEPTION. ON DUTY FOR 13 HOURS AND 10 MINUTES, 7 HOURS AND 26 MINUTES OF FLYING FOR THE DAY, CAUSING FATIGUE. AIRLINE ANNOUNCED MASSIVE LAYOFFS AND TERMINATIONS THAT DAY CAUSING EXTREME STRESS AND DIVERTING ATTN. I BELIEVE THE APCH IN ITSELF IS AN UNSAFE MANEUVER. VISIBILITY AT THE ARPT WAS LESS THAN WHAT WAS RPTED ON ATIS MAKING THE APCH MARGINAL, BUT LEGAL. ESTIMATED AS 3 1/2 MILES. SINCE I HAVE NEVER FLOWN THE APCH BEFORE I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR DESCRIBED THE DIFFICULTY A PLT HAS ADJUSTING THE MAP LIGHT IN THIS MODEL ACFT. DUE TO THIS PROB, HE HAD NOT ADJUSTED THE LIGHT PROPERLY AND THEREFORE DID NOT STUDY HIS APCH CHART ADEQUATELY. BECAUSE OF THAT, HE SIMPLY FLEW THE WRONG TRACK FOR THIS APCH.

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.