 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Small aircraft pilot gets lost near his home airport while proceeding VMC in a night operation. Pilot had a GPS but didn't use it very well.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 362120 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bjc |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : den tower : bjc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Piper Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1450 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 362120 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During dusk I was in touch with den approach and was going to bjc VFR. It was almost completely dark. It is my home airport and I know the area well. But I usually fly IFR after dark. I was VFR this time. As I approached the airport, approach control did not call me for a handoff to tower. So I called them at 5.5 mi from bjc (GPS reading). They immediately gave me the tower. The tower said approach had been calling me, although approach did not say that. Tower asked if I had the airport visually and I said I was lost. They said airport was on my right and they gave me vectors to a right downwind for runway 29R and I landed without incident. A familiar area may look less familiar in the dark.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA PLT GETS LOST NEAR HIS HOME ARPT WHILE PROCEEDING VMC IN A NIGHT OP. PLT HAD A GPS BUT DIDN'T USE IT VERY WELL.
Narrative: DURING DUSK I WAS IN TOUCH WITH DEN APCH AND WAS GOING TO BJC VFR. IT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DARK. IT IS MY HOME ARPT AND I KNOW THE AREA WELL. BUT I USUALLY FLY IFR AFTER DARK. I WAS VFR THIS TIME. AS I APCHED THE ARPT, APCH CTL DID NOT CALL ME FOR A HDOF TO TWR. SO I CALLED THEM AT 5.5 MI FROM BJC (GPS READING). THEY IMMEDIATELY GAVE ME THE TWR. THE TWR SAID APCH HAD BEEN CALLING ME, ALTHOUGH APCH DID NOT SAY THAT. TWR ASKED IF I HAD THE ARPT VISUALLY AND I SAID I WAS LOST. THEY SAID ARPT WAS ON MY R AND THEY GAVE ME VECTORS TO A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 29R AND I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. A FAMILIAR AREA MAY LOOK LESS FAMILIAR IN THE DARK.
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.