 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Air carrier heavy transport land below minimums. Reporter, so, was distracted by the deferred #4 fuel tank. Failed to backup the flight crew. Airport was visible at 2 mi but the reported WX was 250 meters and 550 meters is required.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 358733 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199701 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : egnx |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : egnx |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 358733 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I flew as an engineer, on a DC8 from cvg to egnx (east midland, england). The aircraft had a deferred maintenance item on the #4 fuel tank main. The mechanics said they filled the tank according to mcdonald douglas recommendations. As we flew to egnx, I noticed the #4 in 'intermediate' prematurely. It started taking fuel and I realized that we could be 2500 pounds less than thought. When we arrived at egnx, ATIS reported the WX at better than 1500 meters, but approach control said the RVR was 250 meters. The captain elected to fly to the OM and if the WX didn't come up, we would miss the approach and proceed to ebbr. The outer tank gauge now read zero and I was faced with the possibility of an engine shutting down. We were a couple of mi from the OM and now could see the airport approach lights and runway lights. We continued the approach and landed with no incident. Upon taxi, I said we were lucky the airport came up. They informed me it didn't. The RVR was still 250 meters, we needed 550 meters to shoot the approach. I allowed the fuel gauge problem to divert my attention away from the approach, where I'm supposed to help monitor and backup the pilots.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR HVT LAND BELOW MINIMUMS. RPTR, SO, WAS DISTRACTED BY THE DEFERRED #4 FUEL TANK. FAILED TO BACKUP THE FLC. ARPT WAS VISIBLE AT 2 MI BUT THE RPTED WX WAS 250 METERS AND 550 METERS IS REQUIRED.
Narrative: I FLEW AS AN ENGINEER, ON A DC8 FROM CVG TO EGNX (EAST MIDLAND, ENGLAND). THE ACFT HAD A DEFERRED MAINT ITEM ON THE #4 FUEL TANK MAIN. THE MECHS SAID THEY FILLED THE TANK ACCORDING TO MCDONALD DOUGLAS RECOMMENDATIONS. AS WE FLEW TO EGNX, I NOTICED THE #4 IN 'INTERMEDIATE' PREMATURELY. IT STARTED TAKING FUEL AND I REALIZED THAT WE COULD BE 2500 LBS LESS THAN THOUGHT. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT EGNX, ATIS RPTED THE WX AT BETTER THAN 1500 METERS, BUT APCH CTL SAID THE RVR WAS 250 METERS. THE CAPT ELECTED TO FLY TO THE OM AND IF THE WX DIDN'T COME UP, WE WOULD MISS THE APCH AND PROCEED TO EBBR. THE OUTER TANK GAUGE NOW READ ZERO AND I WAS FACED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ENG SHUTTING DOWN. WE WERE A COUPLE OF MI FROM THE OM AND NOW COULD SEE THE ARPT APCH LIGHTS AND RWY LIGHTS. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED WITH NO INCIDENT. UPON TAXI, I SAID WE WERE LUCKY THE ARPT CAME UP. THEY INFORMED ME IT DIDN'T. THE RVR WAS STILL 250 METERS, WE NEEDED 550 METERS TO SHOOT THE APCH. I ALLOWED THE FUEL GAUGE PROB TO DIVERT MY ATTN AWAY FROM THE APCH, WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO HELP MONITOR AND BACKUP THE PLTS.
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.