Narrative:

Inbound to pdx, we called the airport in sight at 1 O'clock and 14 mi. With the ILS frequency for 28R dialed in as a backup, we were expected to be cleared for a visibility approach. The ATIS only referred to runway 28R as being in use. So, when we were cleared for the mill visibility runway 28R approach, we were not set up to fly a visibility approach as per the mill visibility runway 28R profile. Attempting to review the profile, approaching a 5 mi final resulted in a go around followed by an ILS approach and landing with no problems. However, the mill river runway 28R visibility approach and the circumstances under which it was issued to us require some changes to the be made, in my opinion. There is not electronic course guidance; e.g., a VOR radial to confirm alignment with the runway, only the camas intersection. We were vectored to a 5 mi final inside camas intersection. There is only 1 recommended altitude, at camas intersection. Again we were vectored inside camas intersection. We were unable to accurately determine the papermill and the antennas as depicted on the chart, as it was night, creating some confusion as to how far out we were, and how high we should be (even though the pdx VOR was also dialed in on the second radio). Upon being cleared for the mill visibility runway 28R only 5 mi out, we were not sure of whether we could turn in over the river or if we had to intercept over the paper mill. The controller should have just cleared us for the visibility approach to runway 28R to remain over the river as much as possible for noise. Recommendations: 1) eliminate ground objects as chkpoints to be followed, especially at night, as it's hard to find them. 2) advise pilots early, that a specific visibility approach will be used. 3) establish recommended altitudes and sufficient electronic course backup information so as to confirm that the aircraft is following the visibility approach to the correct airport and runway. 4) controllers should specify a point to join the visibility approach, if vectoring an aircraft into the middle of a specific, specified visibility approach. The present mill visibility runway 28R is unsafe!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW COMPLAINT ABOUT A CHARTED VISUAL TO PDX.

Narrative: INBND TO PDX, WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT 1 O'CLOCK AND 14 MI. WITH THE ILS FREQ FOR 28R DIALED IN AS A BACKUP, WE WERE EXPECTED TO BE CLRED FOR A VIS APCH. THE ATIS ONLY REFERRED TO RWY 28R AS BEING IN USE. SO, WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE MILL VIS RWY 28R APCH, WE WERE NOT SET UP TO FLY A VIS APCH AS PER THE MILL VIS RWY 28R PROFILE. ATTEMPTING TO REVIEW THE PROFILE, APCHING A 5 MI FINAL RESULTED IN A GAR FOLLOWED BY AN ILS APCH AND LNDG WITH NO PROBS. HOWEVER, THE MILL RIVER RWY 28R VIS APCH AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH IT WAS ISSUED TO US REQUIRE SOME CHANGES TO THE BE MADE, IN MY OPINION. THERE IS NOT ELECTRONIC COURSE GUIDANCE; E.G., A VOR RADIAL TO CONFIRM ALIGNMENT WITH THE RWY, ONLY THE CAMAS INTXN. WE WERE VECTORED TO A 5 MI FINAL INSIDE CAMAS INTXN. THERE IS ONLY 1 RECOMMENDED ALT, AT CAMAS INTXN. AGAIN WE WERE VECTORED INSIDE CAMAS INTXN. WE WERE UNABLE TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE THE PAPERMILL AND THE ANTENNAS AS DEPICTED ON THE CHART, AS IT WAS NIGHT, CREATING SOME CONFUSION AS TO HOW FAR OUT WE WERE, AND HOW HIGH WE SHOULD BE (EVEN THOUGH THE PDX VOR WAS ALSO DIALED IN ON THE SECOND RADIO). UPON BEING CLRED FOR THE MILL VIS RWY 28R ONLY 5 MI OUT, WE WERE NOT SURE OF WHETHER WE COULD TURN IN OVER THE RIVER OR IF WE HAD TO INTERCEPT OVER THE PAPER MILL. THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE JUST CLRED US FOR THE VIS APCH TO RWY 28R TO REMAIN OVER THE RIVER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR NOISE. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) ELIMINATE GND OBJECTS AS CHKPOINTS TO BE FOLLOWED, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, AS IT'S HARD TO FIND THEM. 2) ADVISE PLTS EARLY, THAT A SPECIFIC VIS APCH WILL BE USED. 3) ESTABLISH RECOMMENDED ALTS AND SUFFICIENT ELECTRONIC COURSE BACKUP INFO SO AS TO CONFIRM THAT THE ACFT IS FOLLOWING THE VIS APCH TO THE CORRECT ARPT AND RWY. 4) CTLRS SHOULD SPECIFY A POINT TO JOIN THE VIS APCH, IF VECTORING AN ACFT INTO THE MIDDLE OF A SPECIFIC, SPECIFIED VIS APCH. THE PRESENT MILL VIS RWY 28R IS UNSAFE!

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.