37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 263355 |
Time | |
Date | 199402 |
Day | Wed |
Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : mkc |
State Reference | MO |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Night |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tracon : mci tower : mkc tower : orf |
Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
Make Model Name | Learjet 55 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
Route In Use | approach : visual approach : straight in enroute : on vectors |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air taxi |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 10000 |
ASRS Report | 263355 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air taxi |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 150 |
ASRS Report | 263557 |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Error |
Situations | |
ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Report concerning a near miss with a 1168 ft tower occurring during a visual approach to runway 01 at mkc feb 1994. On february 1994 we departed teb on a far part 135 flight with 5 passenger aboard lear jet 55. I was listed as PIC although I was flying with another fully qualified captain in the left seat, PF. Upon arrival into the kansas city area at approximately XX15 local time we received the current ATIS which reported clear and 7 mi, using the ILS 03 landing 01. We planned for an ILS approach to runway 03 with a circle to land on runway 01 at mkc airport. As I have flown into mkc several times and this was PF's first time into this airport, I briefed him on the obstructions south of the airport and we noted the 2051 ft tower depicted on the ILS 03 approach chart (11-2). We noted its proximity to the airport and commented that we needed to maneuver well clear of it. We were receiving vectors from mkc approach and were turned to a heading of 350 and advised that this was a vector for visual to runway 01. We descended to 3000 ft as instructed by ATC. It was dark and we had lost visual contact with mkc airport during the vectoring. When mkc approach turned us to a heading of 350 I commented to PF that I had the 2051 ft tower in sight and we were well clear of it. He looked at the tower and acknowledged that he saw it also. On the 350 heading ATC advised that mkc downtown airport was 12 O'clock and 5 mi. I asked PF if he had the airport in sight and he replied that he only had a set of REIL lights and we could not confirm that it was mkc airport. I replied to mkc approach that we did not have the airport in sight. Approach advised that the airport was at the bend in the river. This was of no help as it was dark enough that no ground colors could be seen. Shortly after that I picked up the runway lights for 03 and asked PF if he saw the runway, to which he acknowledged that he had the runway. I then advised approach that we had runway 01 in sight. Approach cleared us for the visual and turned us over to mkc tower. Both PF and I noted that we were high for a normal approach and we began about a 1500 FPM descent toward the runway. I had contacted mkc tower and they cleared us to land runway 01. We were in the landing confin with the exception of full flaps which PF called for and I was setting when one of the passenger yelled 'you guys see that tower.' almost simultaneously PF rolled the aircraft into a rapid 45 degree right bank. I looked up from setting the flaps to see a flash of red light go by. I could not judge the distance as I only saw a flash of light for a fraction of a second. However, PF estimated that we were closer than 50 ft and the one passenger who saw the tower said we were 'very close.' after a normal landing and the passenger had departed I called mkc tower and spoke to someone who was working us inbound. He commented that they all thought we were going to hit that tower and that they thought we were a couple of cowboys trying to fly between the 2 towers. I then called the approach control and advised them that we had a near miss with a tower on final to 01. I was advised that once cleared for a visual I am responsible for obstruction clearance and that the obstruction is charted. I acknowledged my responsibilities and asked to talk to the supervisor. I was transferred to mr. X who expressed some concern at the situation and advised me that they normally don't vector aircraft through that area. I received a call from mr. Y the next morning as a follow-up and he advised me that they were taking actions to prevent controllers from vectoring aircraft into that area. When I arrived at the airport the next morning I reviewed that approach chart again and much to my surprise the tower was not shown. I purchased a sectional chart which clearly showed this tower. I called chart maker and spoke to mr. Z who noted that the tower had been omitted from the approach charts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NMAC BY LTT JET WITH OBSTRUCTION TWR UNCHARTED N A NIGHT OP. EVASIVE ACTION TURN DURING A HIGH RATE OF DSCNT.
Narrative: RPT CONCERNING A NEAR MISS WITH A 1168 FT TWR OCCURRING DURING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 01 AT MKC FEB 1994. ON FEBRUARY 1994 WE DEPARTED TEB ON A FAR PART 135 FLT WITH 5 PAX ABOARD LEAR JET 55. I WAS LISTED AS PIC ALTHOUGH I WAS FLYING WITH ANOTHER FULLY QUALIFIED CAPT IN THE L SEAT, PF. UPON ARR INTO THE KANSAS CITY AREA AT APPROX XX15 LCL TIME WE RECEIVED THE CURRENT ATIS WHICH RPTED CLR AND 7 MI, USING THE ILS 03 LNDG 01. WE PLANNED FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 03 WITH A CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 01 AT MKC ARPT. AS I HAVE FLOWN INTO MKC SEVERAL TIMES AND THIS WAS PF'S FIRST TIME INTO THIS ARPT, I BRIEFED HIM ON THE OBSTRUCTIONS S OF THE ARPT AND WE NOTED THE 2051 FT TWR DEPICTED ON THE ILS 03 APCH CHART (11-2). WE NOTED ITS PROX TO THE ARPT AND COMMENTED THAT WE NEEDED TO MANEUVER WELL CLR OF IT. WE WERE RECEIVING VECTORS FROM MKC APCH AND WERE TURNED TO A HDG OF 350 AND ADVISED THAT THIS WAS A VECTOR FOR VISUAL TO RWY 01. WE DSNDED TO 3000 FT AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC. IT WAS DARK AND WE HAD LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH MKC ARPT DURING THE VECTORING. WHEN MKC APCH TURNED US TO A HDG OF 350 I COMMENTED TO PF THAT I HAD THE 2051 FT TWR IN SIGHT AND WE WERE WELL CLR OF IT. HE LOOKED AT THE TWR AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE SAW IT ALSO. ON THE 350 HDG ATC ADVISED THAT MKC DOWNTOWN ARPT WAS 12 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI. I ASKED PF IF HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND HE REPLIED THAT HE ONLY HAD A SET OF REIL LIGHTS AND WE COULD NOT CONFIRM THAT IT WAS MKC ARPT. I REPLIED TO MKC APCH THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. APCH ADVISED THAT THE ARPT WAS AT THE BEND IN THE RIVER. THIS WAS OF NO HELP AS IT WAS DARK ENOUGH THAT NO GND COLORS COULD BE SEEN. SHORTLY AFTER THAT I PICKED UP THE RWY LIGHTS FOR 03 AND ASKED PF IF HE SAW THE RWY, TO WHICH HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD THE RWY. I THEN ADVISED APCH THAT WE HAD RWY 01 IN SIGHT. APCH CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL AND TURNED US OVER TO MKC TWR. BOTH PF AND I NOTED THAT WE WERE HIGH FOR A NORMAL APCH AND WE BEGAN ABOUT A 1500 FPM DSCNT TOWARD THE RWY. I HAD CONTACTED MKC TWR AND THEY CLRED US TO LAND RWY 01. WE WERE IN THE LNDG CONFIN WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FULL FLAPS WHICH PF CALLED FOR AND I WAS SETTING WHEN ONE OF THE PAX YELLED 'YOU GUYS SEE THAT TWR.' ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY PF ROLLED THE ACFT INTO A RAPID 45 DEG R BANK. I LOOKED UP FROM SETTING THE FLAPS TO SEE A FLASH OF RED LIGHT GO BY. I COULD NOT JUDGE THE DISTANCE AS I ONLY SAW A FLASH OF LIGHT FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND. HOWEVER, PF ESTIMATED THAT WE WERE CLOSER THAN 50 FT AND THE ONE PAX WHO SAW THE TWR SAID WE WERE 'VERY CLOSE.' AFTER A NORMAL LNDG AND THE PAX HAD DEPARTED I CALLED MKC TWR AND SPOKE TO SOMEONE WHO WAS WORKING US INBOUND. HE COMMENTED THAT THEY ALL THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HIT THAT TWR AND THAT THEY THOUGHT WE WERE A COUPLE OF COWBOYS TRYING TO FLY BTWN THE 2 TWRS. I THEN CALLED THE APCH CTL AND ADVISED THEM THAT WE HAD A NEAR MISS WITH A TWR ON FINAL TO 01. I WAS ADVISED THAT ONCE CLRED FOR A VISUAL I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR OBSTRUCTION CLRNC AND THAT THE OBSTRUCTION IS CHARTED. I ACKNOWLEDGED MY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ASKED TO TALK TO THE SUPVR. I WAS TRANSFERRED TO MR. X WHO EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN AT THE SIT AND ADVISED ME THAT THEY NORMALLY DON'T VECTOR ACFT THROUGH THAT AREA. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM MR. Y THE NEXT MORNING AS A FOLLOW-UP AND HE ADVISED ME THAT THEY WERE TAKING ACTIONS TO PREVENT CTLRS FROM VECTORING ACFT INTO THAT AREA. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT THE NEXT MORNING I REVIEWED THAT APCH CHART AGAIN AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE THE TWR WAS NOT SHOWN. I PURCHASED A SECTIONAL CHART WHICH CLRLY SHOWED THIS TWR. I CALLED CHART MAKER AND SPOKE TO MR. Z WHO NOTED THAT THE TWR HAD BEEN OMITTED FROM THE APCH CHARTS.
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.