Narrative:

I was working arrs late at night into burbank airport. Air carrier #1 checked in 22 mi north of the airport IFR at 8000 ft. Air carrier #1 requested a visual approach to runway 15. I vectored air carrier #1 to a point 12 mi northwest of the airport and descended the aircraft to 5000 ft, the MVA in his area. The aircraft reported the field in sight, and I cleared him for the visual approach. At about 8 mi out I went back to air carrier #1 to ship him to the tower. The aircraft said he had 'lost the airport,' but he was still descending. I stopped the aircraft's descent and vectored him heading 110 degrees for the airport. The aircraft said he would level off at 3000 ft. He was just leaving a 5000 ft MVA and entering a 4000 ft MVA. I made a transmission to another aircraft and when I looked back at air carrier #1, he was descending out of 2600 ft and heading south. I canceled his approach clearance and climbed the aircraft above the MVA. It appeared that air carrier #1 had gotten whp airport in sight and was heading for whp. On reflection I should have canceled air carrier #1's approach clearance when he initially lost sight of bur. My thinking at the time was he should pick the airport back up visually fairly quickly and although the MVA is 4000 ft in his area, I know it is safe on the heading I gave the pilot. If I had an arrival on the ILS to runway 8, there is no way I could have kept standard separation from air carrier #1.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ACFT ON VISUAL APCH AT NIGHT TO BUR SEES WRONG ARPT AND DSNDS BELOW THE MVA.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ARRS LATE AT NIGHT INTO BURBANK ARPT. ACR #1 CHKED IN 22 MI N OF THE ARPT IFR AT 8000 FT. ACR #1 REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 15. I VECTORED ACR #1 TO A POINT 12 MI NW OF THE ARPT AND DSNDED THE ACFT TO 5000 FT, THE MVA IN HIS AREA. THE ACFT RPTED THE FIELD IN SIGHT, AND I CLRED HIM FOR THE VISUAL APCH. AT ABOUT 8 MI OUT I WENT BACK TO ACR #1 TO SHIP HIM TO THE TWR. THE ACFT SAID HE HAD 'LOST THE ARPT,' BUT HE WAS STILL DSNDING. I STOPPED THE ACFT'S DSCNT AND VECTORED HIM HDG 110 DEGS FOR THE ARPT. THE ACFT SAID HE WOULD LEVEL OFF AT 3000 FT. HE WAS JUST LEAVING A 5000 FT MVA AND ENTERING A 4000 FT MVA. I MADE A XMISSION TO ANOTHER ACFT AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT ACR #1, HE WAS DSNDING OUT OF 2600 FT AND HEADING S. I CANCELED HIS APCH CLRNC AND CLBED THE ACFT ABOVE THE MVA. IT APPEARED THAT ACR #1 HAD GOTTEN WHP ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS HEADING FOR WHP. ON REFLECTION I SHOULD HAVE CANCELED ACR #1'S APCH CLRNC WHEN HE INITIALLY LOST SIGHT OF BUR. MY THINKING AT THE TIME WAS HE SHOULD PICK THE ARPT BACK UP VISUALLY FAIRLY QUICKLY AND ALTHOUGH THE MVA IS 4000 FT IN HIS AREA, I KNOW IT IS SAFE ON THE HDG I GAVE THE PLT. IF I HAD AN ARR ON THE ILS TO RWY 8, THERE IS NO WAY I COULD HAVE KEPT STANDARD SEPARATION FROM ACR #1.

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.