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While hand flying on a visual approach, an air carrier captain became distracted looking for the airport. The aircraft descended to 1000 ft AGL, while first officer (PNF) was tuning radios.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 322956 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199512 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : ewr |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 322956 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
First officer reported visual contact with ewr airport and approach cleared us for visual approach and to 'contact' tower. Captain hand flying airplane, did not have visual on airport. When first officer looked into cockpit to change radio frequency and captain was still searching for airport, he allowed airplane to descend to approximately 1000 ft AGL before correcting to approximately 2000 ft to intercept GS to runway. Situation could have been avoided if captain had paid attention to aircraft altitude and position instead of searching for airport while first officer occupied.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WHILE HAND FLYING ON A VISUAL APCH, AN ACR CAPT BECAME DISTRACTED LOOKING FOR THE ARPT. THE ACFT DSNDED TO 1000 FT AGL, WHILE FO (PNF) WAS TUNING RADIOS.
Narrative: FO RPTED VISUAL CONTACT WITH EWR ARPT AND APCH CLRED US FOR VISUAL APCH AND TO 'CONTACT' TWR. CAPT HAND FLYING AIRPLANE, DID NOT HAVE VISUAL ON ARPT. WHEN FO LOOKED INTO COCKPIT TO CHANGE RADIO FREQ AND CAPT WAS STILL SEARCHING FOR ARPT, HE ALLOWED AIRPLANE TO DSND TO APPROX 1000 FT AGL BEFORE CORRECTING TO APPROX 2000 FT TO INTERCEPT GS TO RWY. SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF CAPT HAD PAID ATTN TO ACFT ALT AND POS INSTEAD OF SEARCHING FOR ARPT WHILE FO OCCUPIED.
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.