 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Flight crew on air carrier medium large transport fail to lower landing gear on approach in heavy rain. Catch error at 700 ft AGL.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 250323 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199308 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : msp |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 700 agl bound upper : 700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : msp tower : msp |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : straight in |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 220 |
| ASRS Report | 250323 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On approach to runway 29L at msp, unforecasted, heavy rain showers moved over the field, obscuring visibility. Radar painted the area red (heavy precipitation), but because a widebody transport ahead reported no problems we continued the approach. The medium large transport's radar always paints WX worse than it is. Slowing to 170 KTS per approach control, I commanded flaps 3. Usually I select gear down with flaps 3, but we were so far out, I elected to keep it retracted to save fuel and vibration on the air frame. As we approached the marker (OM), I commanded full flaps and final items to be read on the landing checklist. At the marker, we were in heavy rain with light/moderate turbulence. I, as PIC, was very concerned at this point what we were flying into. I kept asking the first officer for WX reports on final and at the airport. Msp tower and approach control seemed indifferent and painted a rosy picture. We continued the approach. At 700 ft AGL and heavy, heavy rain, we received a cockpit warning stating our gear was up! Immediately, I commanded gear down, final items. At 500 ft AGL, the gear was down and locked, and we broke out of the rain and got visual on runway 29L and landed uneventfully. Obviously, I was so concerned about flying into a thunderstorm I forgot to call for gear down. Obviously, the first officer was so concerned, he forgot to read the checklist. To pilots who never thought this could happen to them, I have news for them -- it can!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC ON ACR MLG FAIL TO LOWER LNDG GEAR ON APCH IN HVY RAIN. CATCH ERROR AT 700 FT AGL.
Narrative: ON APCH TO RWY 29L AT MSP, UNFORECASTED, HVY RAIN SHOWERS MOVED OVER THE FIELD, OBSCURING VISIBILITY. RADAR PAINTED THE AREA RED (HVY PRECIPITATION), BUT BECAUSE A WDB AHEAD RPTED NO PROBS WE CONTINUED THE APCH. THE MLG'S RADAR ALWAYS PAINTS WX WORSE THAN IT IS. SLOWING TO 170 KTS PER APCH CTL, I COMMANDED FLAPS 3. USUALLY I SELECT GEAR DOWN WITH FLAPS 3, BUT WE WERE SO FAR OUT, I ELECTED TO KEEP IT RETRACTED TO SAVE FUEL AND VIBRATION ON THE AIR FRAME. AS WE APCHED THE MARKER (OM), I COMMANDED FULL FLAPS AND FINAL ITEMS TO BE READ ON THE LNDG CHKLIST. AT THE MARKER, WE WERE IN HVY RAIN WITH LIGHT/MODERATE TURB. I, AS PIC, WAS VERY CONCERNED AT THIS POINT WHAT WE WERE FLYING INTO. I KEPT ASKING THE FO FOR WX RPTS ON FINAL AND AT THE ARPT. MSP TWR AND APCH CTL SEEMED INDIFFERENT AND PAINTED A ROSY PICTURE. WE CONTINUED THE APCH. AT 700 FT AGL AND HVY, HVY RAIN, WE RECEIVED A COCKPIT WARNING STATING OUR GEAR WAS UP! IMMEDIATELY, I COMMANDED GEAR DOWN, FINAL ITEMS. AT 500 FT AGL, THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED, AND WE BROKE OUT OF THE RAIN AND GOT VISUAL ON RWY 29L AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. OBVIOUSLY, I WAS SO CONCERNED ABOUT FLYING INTO A TSTM I FORGOT TO CALL FOR GEAR DOWN. OBVIOUSLY, THE FO WAS SO CONCERNED, HE FORGOT TO READ THE CHKLIST. TO PLTS WHO NEVER THOUGHT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO THEM, I HAVE NEWS FOR THEM -- IT CAN!
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.