 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Small aircraft pilot relying on LORAN navigation. Equipment goes berserk, receives vector from TRACON.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 226177 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199211 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lal |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : tpa |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 11000 |
| ASRS Report | 226177 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Flight was planned from western la, to lakeland, fl, non- stop, approximately 600 statute mi. However, the quartering headwinds encountered for most of the distance traveled made following the coastline a much slower flight and additional fuel burn observed at 1/2 way point was noted. We plugged in the LORAN C unit to lakeland and kept the needle centered. We flew on top of scattered clouds, tops about 3100 ft. Directional and altitude changes were requested by flight following as we transversed past mobile, pensacola, eglin, and tyndall radars. Result was arrival near lakeland with minimal fuel remaining. Suddenly the LORAN went beserk. It was way off on its readings and we rechked our position on the maps. LORAN showed lakeland 1.5 mi straight ahead, but no airport anywhere in sight as we circled. Had to request a steer from tampa approach. To locate the nearest airport (bartow) as fuel was less than we had anticipated on arrival in the area. The LORAN had prevaricated to us, for reasons unknown. We had bypassed east of lakeland airport without seeing the airport, but LORAN indicated lakeland airport was much further south. Conclusion is lorans must be subject to errors of considerable magnitude, and may not be very reliable, under some conditions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA PLT RELYING ON LORAN NAV. EQUIP GOES BERSERK, RECEIVES VECTOR FROM TRACON.
Narrative: FLT WAS PLANNED FROM WESTERN LA, TO LAKELAND, FL, NON- STOP, APPROX 600 STATUTE MI. HOWEVER, THE QUARTERING HEADWINDS ENCOUNTERED FOR MOST OF THE DISTANCE TRAVELED MADE FOLLOWING THE COASTLINE A MUCH SLOWER FLT AND ADDITIONAL FUEL BURN OBSERVED AT 1/2 WAY POINT WAS NOTED. WE PLUGGED IN THE LORAN C UNIT TO LAKELAND AND KEPT THE NEEDLE CTRED. WE FLEW ON TOP OF SCATTERED CLOUDS, TOPS ABOUT 3100 FT. DIRECTIONAL AND ALT CHANGES WERE REQUESTED BY FLT FOLLOWING AS WE TRANSVERSED PAST MOBILE, PENSACOLA, EGLIN, AND TYNDALL RADARS. RESULT WAS ARR NEAR LAKELAND WITH MINIMAL FUEL REMAINING. SUDDENLY THE LORAN WENT BESERK. IT WAS WAY OFF ON ITS READINGS AND WE RECHKED OUR POS ON THE MAPS. LORAN SHOWED LAKELAND 1.5 MI STRAIGHT AHEAD, BUT NO ARPT ANYWHERE IN SIGHT AS WE CIRCLED. HAD TO REQUEST A STEER FROM TAMPA APCH. TO LOCATE THE NEAREST ARPT (BARTOW) AS FUEL WAS LESS THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED ON ARR IN THE AREA. THE LORAN HAD PREVARICATED TO US, FOR REASONS UNKNOWN. WE HAD BYPASSED E OF LAKELAND ARPT WITHOUT SEEING THE ARPT, BUT LORAN INDICATED LAKELAND ARPT WAS MUCH FURTHER S. CONCLUSION IS LORANS MUST BE SUBJECT TO ERRORS OF CONSIDERABLE MAGNITUDE, AND MAY NOT BE VERY RELIABLE, UNDER SOME CONDITIONS.
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.