At mins, flight crew begins to fly towards a hangar, mistaking its lights for runway approach lights...

Attributes
ACN	213316
Time
Date	199206
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ict
State Reference	KS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 150 agl bound upper : 150
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ict tracon : flo
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	213316
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching runway 1R at ict, with GS and localizer perfectly centered at mins, I saw bright lights at my 12 O'clock position which I mistook for approach lights and started adjusting my course for those lights when I saw the localizer needle rapidly moving to the left and also my flight director showing a left turn. I saw the runway at my 11:30 position and somehow managed to line up with the runway and land on the surface the winds were calm, but I noticed the heading I was holding 024 indicated a right crosswind thus the bright lights from hangar appeared at my 12 O'clock position. I was lucky that my scan back to instruments might have saved an incident from happening. It is important to remove those lights during low visibility approachs to eliminate any chances of human error. I forgot to mention all 3 crew members saw the bright lights and thought they were approach lights. Diagram below will give you a general idea of what I am talking about.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT MINS, FLC BEGINS TO FLY TOWARDS A HANGAR, MISTAKING ITS LIGHTS FOR RWY APCH LIGHTS.

Narrative: APCHING RWY 1R AT ICT, WITH GS AND LOC PERFECTLY CTRED AT MINS, I SAW BRIGHT LIGHTS AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS WHICH I MISTOOK FOR APCH LIGHTS AND STARTED ADJUSTING MY COURSE FOR THOSE LIGHTS WHEN I SAW THE LOC NEEDLE RAPIDLY MOVING TO THE L AND ALSO MY FLT DIRECTOR SHOWING A L TURN. I SAW THE RWY AT MY 11:30 POS AND SOMEHOW MANAGED TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY AND LAND ON THE SURFACE THE WINDS WERE CALM, BUT I NOTICED THE HDG I WAS HOLDING 024 INDICATED A R XWIND THUS THE BRIGHT LIGHTS FROM HANGAR APPEARED AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS. I WAS LUCKY THAT MY SCAN BACK TO INSTS MIGHT HAVE SAVED AN INCIDENT FROM HAPPENING. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMOVE THOSE LIGHTS DURING LOW VISIBILITY APCHS TO ELIMINATE ANY CHANCES OF HUMAN ERROR. I FORGOT TO MENTION ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS SAW THE BRIGHT LIGHTS AND THOUGHT THEY WERE APCH LIGHTS. DIAGRAM BELOW WILL GIVE YOU A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

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.