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Flight crew of an medium large transport delayed for night landing until runway lighting could be verified by flight crew.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 298360 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199503 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hsv |
| State Reference | AL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 298360 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Tower closed hsv as arrival time was after midnight. During letdown into hsv, crew received conflicting and confusing information for hsv plates (communication) 11-1 (air carrier) 10-8W (air carrier) operations. The conflicting information concerned 1) was hsv runways 18L, 36R closed to acrs 2) what runway lighting would be available for landing. 11-1 indicated pilot controled lighting for runways 18L/36R only. Operations could not visually confirm that runways 18R/36L lights were on. Center was not sure lights were available and pilot controled. Dispatch believed all lights were pilot controled (both runways). This lack of verifiable information and possible safety concerns led the crew to delay approach to the hsv airport. Captain eventually obtained clearance to 3000 ft and a vector toward the airport from center. WX was 8000 ft ceiling and 10 mi visibility. Airport was sighted and runway lights for runways 18R/36L were visually verified as being on and fully operational. An uneventful visual pattern and landing were made to runway 18R. My concern is that numerous sources (both written and oral) supplied conflicting information.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN MLG DELAYED FOR NIGHT LNDG UNTIL RWY LIGHTING COULD BE VERIFIED BY FLC.
Narrative: TWR CLOSED HSV AS ARR TIME WAS AFTER MIDNIGHT. DURING LETDOWN INTO HSV, CREW RECEIVED CONFLICTING AND CONFUSING INFO FOR HSV PLATES (COM) 11-1 (ACR) 10-8W (ACR) OPS. THE CONFLICTING INFO CONCERNED 1) WAS HSV RWYS 18L, 36R CLOSED TO ACRS 2) WHAT RWY LIGHTING WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR LNDG. 11-1 INDICATED PLT CTLED LIGHTING FOR RWYS 18L/36R ONLY. OPS COULD NOT VISUALLY CONFIRM THAT RWYS 18R/36L LIGHTS WERE ON. CTR WAS NOT SURE LIGHTS WERE AVAILABLE AND PLT CTLED. DISPATCH BELIEVED ALL LIGHTS WERE PLT CTLED (BOTH RWYS). THIS LACK OF VERIFIABLE INFO AND POSSIBLE SAFETY CONCERNS LED THE CREW TO DELAY APCH TO THE HSV ARPT. CAPT EVENTUALLY OBTAINED CLRNC TO 3000 FT AND A VECTOR TOWARD THE ARPT FROM CTR. WX WAS 8000 FT CEILING AND 10 MI VISIBILITY. ARPT WAS SIGHTED AND RWY LIGHTS FOR RWYS 18R/36L WERE VISUALLY VERIFIED AS BEING ON AND FULLY OPERATIONAL. AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL PATTERN AND LNDG WERE MADE TO RWY 18R. MY CONCERN IS THAT NUMEROUS SOURCES (BOTH WRITTEN AND ORAL) SUPPLIED CONFLICTING INFO.
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.