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Flight crew of light transport accepted visual approach then encountered WX. Requested and made 360 degree turn on approach to regain proper glide path.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 163768 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199011 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dtw |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dtw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 163768 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Situation occurred while being vectored to dtw. ATIS was calling visuals to runway 3L/right. While being vectored an overcast layer at 2000' AGL was moving northeast in a line from northwest to southeast. While 10 mi out on downwind we heard company aircraft report field in sight just before OM. ATC turned us toward airport descending through 400' MSL for 3000' MSL and asked us to call airport in sight. Captain (flying) said he had field in sight for visibility. I asked if he could maintain visibility and he said, 'sure.' I had my doubts, but reported visibility contact with airport. We were cleared for visibility and told to contact tower. Captain captured localizer and G/south and followed them. As we contacted tower visibility contact was lost due to overcast. We were cleared to land and continued. I mentioned that our altitude appeared high in relation to DME from field. At 1500' AGL we got field and runway in sight, but were now on a 1 mi final. Captain said to request a 360 degree turn to lose altitude. It was approved, reluctantly, by ATC. We did a 360 degree turn and landed west/O incident. With overcast moving in and aircraft getting field in sight late, ATC should have been vectoring for full ILS, not visuals. Captain should not have called for visibility when he could not reasonably expect to keep field in sight. First officer should have been more insistent on an ILS, or refused to call field in sight. Being high on approach resulted in false G/south signals being received.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF LTT ACCEPTED VISUAL APCH THEN ENCOUNTERED WX. REQUESTED AND MADE 360 DEG TURN ON APCH TO REGAIN PROPER GLIDE PATH.
Narrative: SITUATION OCCURRED WHILE BEING VECTORED TO DTW. ATIS WAS CALLING VISUALS TO RWY 3L/R. WHILE BEING VECTORED AN OVCST LAYER AT 2000' AGL WAS MOVING NE IN A LINE FROM NW TO SE. WHILE 10 MI OUT ON DOWNWIND WE HEARD COMPANY ACFT RPT FIELD IN SIGHT JUST BEFORE OM. ATC TURNED US TOWARD ARPT DSNDING THROUGH 400' MSL FOR 3000' MSL AND ASKED US TO CALL ARPT IN SIGHT. CAPT (FLYING) SAID HE HAD FIELD IN SIGHT FOR VIS. I ASKED IF HE COULD MAINTAIN VIS AND HE SAID, 'SURE.' I HAD MY DOUBTS, BUT RPTED VIS CONTACT WITH ARPT. WE WERE CLRED FOR VIS AND TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. CAPT CAPTURED LOC AND G/S AND FOLLOWED THEM. AS WE CONTACTED TWR VIS CONTACT WAS LOST DUE TO OVCST. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND CONTINUED. I MENTIONED THAT OUR ALT APPEARED HIGH IN RELATION TO DME FROM FIELD. AT 1500' AGL WE GOT FIELD AND RWY IN SIGHT, BUT WERE NOW ON A 1 MI FINAL. CAPT SAID TO REQUEST A 360 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT. IT WAS APPROVED, RELUCTANTLY, BY ATC. WE DID A 360 DEG TURN AND LANDED W/O INCIDENT. WITH OVCST MOVING IN AND ACFT GETTING FIELD IN SIGHT LATE, ATC SHOULD HAVE BEEN VECTORING FOR FULL ILS, NOT VISUALS. CAPT SHOULD NOT HAVE CALLED FOR VIS WHEN HE COULD NOT REASONABLY EXPECT TO KEEP FIELD IN SIGHT. F/O SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INSISTENT ON AN ILS, OR REFUSED TO CALL FIELD IN SIGHT. BEING HIGH ON APCH RESULTED IN FALSE G/S SIGNALS BEING RECEIVED.
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.