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Pilot of small aircraft single engine land aircraft inadvertently landed on a closed runway being used for radio control model airplanes.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 250925 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199306 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : baf |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : apc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : straight in |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 106 flight time type : 2 |
| ASRS Report | 250925 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : runway incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 75 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was cleared to land on runway 20. On final I think I checked runway with the compass, but for unknown reasons I did not register in my mind that the approaching runway was the incorrect runway 15. Runway 15 was temporarily closed due to remote controled airplane activity on the field. Aware of all the remote control activity and people, I flew over the threshold much higher than normal. At this time, I noticed a high wing airplane intersecting runway 15 slightly ahead and approximately 75 ft below me, so I remained on a high approach until clear of the activity. At no time was my aircraft or anyone on the ground in danger and I maintained total control of the plane throughout the landing. Upon touchdown, the tower informed me of my landing on the closed runway. I listened to ATIS at least 12 times and noted winds, altimeter, active runway 20, visibility, etc, however, the segment of the transmission pertaining to closed runway 15 and 33 was the most garbled. I heard runway 33 closed and made a mental note that it would not affect me since I was approaching from the northwest. I developed a strong headache while trying to hear ATIS (headphones didn't clarify the broadcast). Approximately 15 mi west of baf I became slightly disoriented and tuned the baf VORTAC to obtain a proper vector. Upon visual contact with airport and contact with the tower, I felt a tremendous amount of relief, unaware that the runway I had made visual contact with was incorrect runway 15. At about this point, my 3 yr old son began announcing that he was in dire need of a restroom. In my anxiety to get on the ground, I heard and acknowledged the ATC clearance to land on 20. Still unaware of my alignment with runway 15, I continued on final incorrectly assuming the clearance was for the runway directly ahead of me, probably a result of a false sense of security caused by flying with ATC, and a general lack of ATC experience.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ACFT INADVERTENTLY LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY BEING USED FOR RADIO CTL MODEL AIRPLANES.
Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 20. ON FINAL I THINK I CHKED RWY WITH THE COMPASS, BUT FOR UNKNOWN REASONS I DID NOT REGISTER IN MY MIND THAT THE APCHING RWY WAS THE INCORRECT RWY 15. RWY 15 WAS TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO REMOTE CTLED AIRPLANE ACTIVITY ON THE FIELD. AWARE OF ALL THE REMOTE CTL ACTIVITY AND PEOPLE, I FLEW OVER THE THRESHOLD MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL. AT THIS TIME, I NOTICED A HIGH WING AIRPLANE INTERSECTING RWY 15 SLIGHTLY AHEAD AND APPROX 75 FT BELOW ME, SO I REMAINED ON A HIGH APCH UNTIL CLR OF THE ACTIVITY. AT NO TIME WAS MY ACFT OR ANYONE ON THE GND IN DANGER AND I MAINTAINED TOTAL CTL OF THE PLANE THROUGHOUT THE LNDG. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE TWR INFORMED ME OF MY LNDG ON THE CLOSED RWY. I LISTENED TO ATIS AT LEAST 12 TIMES AND NOTED WINDS, ALTIMETER, ACTIVE RWY 20, VISIBILITY, ETC, HOWEVER, THE SEGMENT OF THE XMISSION PERTAINING TO CLOSED RWY 15 AND 33 WAS THE MOST GARBLED. I HEARD RWY 33 CLOSED AND MADE A MENTAL NOTE THAT IT WOULD NOT AFFECT ME SINCE I WAS APCHING FROM THE NW. I DEVELOPED A STRONG HEADACHE WHILE TRYING TO HEAR ATIS (HEADPHONES DIDN'T CLARIFY THE BROADCAST). APPROX 15 MI W OF BAF I BECAME SLIGHTLY DISORIENTED AND TUNED THE BAF VORTAC TO OBTAIN A PROPER VECTOR. UPON VISUAL CONTACT WITH ARPT AND CONTACT WITH THE TWR, I FELT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RELIEF, UNAWARE THAT THE RWY I HAD MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH WAS INCORRECT RWY 15. AT ABOUT THIS POINT, MY 3 YR OLD SON BEGAN ANNOUNCING THAT HE WAS IN DIRE NEED OF A RESTROOM. IN MY ANXIETY TO GET ON THE GND, I HEARD AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE ATC CLRNC TO LAND ON 20. STILL UNAWARE OF MY ALIGNMENT WITH RWY 15, I CONTINUED ON FINAL INCORRECTLY ASSUMING THE CLRNC WAS FOR THE RWY DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME, PROBABLY A RESULT OF A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY CAUSED BY FLYING WITH ATC, AND A GENERAL LACK OF ATC EXPERIENCE.
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.