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Small aircraft private pilot makes a wrong runway approach at abi, believing that the active runway is runway 17R. Problem began with his VHF transmitter operating intermittently and having another aircraft relay for him. Essentially, NORAC traffic, departure T38 from runway 35R creates a potential conflict for him.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 370282 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199706 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : abi |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : abi |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Bellanca Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Talon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial cruise other |
| Route In Use | departure other enroute : on vectors |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 370282 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 3000 vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
60 mi out, I monitored approach control and the tower to figure out what runways in use. I determined that runway 17R was the active direction and assumed runway 17L would also be active. At chkpoint cisco, I attempted to contact abi approach on 125.0 with no answer (I could hear them clearly). I waited 5 mi, then tried again with no response, waited 1 min and tried again. At this time another aircraft relayed that I was east of abi and approaching to land abi. Approach said 'squawk XXXX and identify.' I radioed that my transponder was inoperative and requested permission to land abi, which was relayed to approach by the other aircraft. At this time I heard approach control say, ok I have him on radar. At this time I began a descent under the 4300 ft veil heading to 6f4. I was thinking at this point to divert because of poor communications. At this time approach said, 'contact the tower on 120.1.' I felt they were going to accommodate me into abi regardless of my poor communications. I decided to not divert to 6f4. I was apprehensive about descending into the approach pattern, so I stayed high and approached the approach end of runway 17L and runway 17R thinking that if approach and I were not on the same page that all approaching aircraft would be landing under me. I was looking for a green light from the tower. I have never been at an airport that was using opposite directions to take off and land aircraft and was surprised when I saw a T38 taking off on runway 35R. He climbed out left, or east, in front of me. I'm not sure if it was before or after this event that control gave me clearance for runway 17R. I landed without any other event on the ground. I found that a wire had come loose on my radio transmitter side.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA PVT PLT MAKES A WRONG RWY APCH AT ABI, BELIEVING THAT THE ACTIVE RWY IS RWY 17R. PROB BEGAN WITH HIS VHF XMITTER OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY AND HAVING ANOTHER ACFT RELAY FOR HIM. ESSENTIALLY, NORAC TFC, DEP T38 FROM RWY 35R CREATES A POTENTIAL CONFLICT FOR HIM.
Narrative: 60 MI OUT, I MONITORED APCH CTL AND THE TWR TO FIGURE OUT WHAT RWYS IN USE. I DETERMINED THAT RWY 17R WAS THE ACTIVE DIRECTION AND ASSUMED RWY 17L WOULD ALSO BE ACTIVE. AT CHKPOINT CISCO, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ABI APCH ON 125.0 WITH NO ANSWER (I COULD HEAR THEM CLRLY). I WAITED 5 MI, THEN TRIED AGAIN WITH NO RESPONSE, WAITED 1 MIN AND TRIED AGAIN. AT THIS TIME ANOTHER ACFT RELAYED THAT I WAS E OF ABI AND APCHING TO LAND ABI. APCH SAID 'SQUAWK XXXX AND IDENT.' I RADIOED THAT MY XPONDER WAS INOP AND REQUESTED PERMISSION TO LAND ABI, WHICH WAS RELAYED TO APCH BY THE OTHER ACFT. AT THIS TIME I HEARD APCH CTL SAY, OK I HAVE HIM ON RADAR. AT THIS TIME I BEGAN A DSCNT UNDER THE 4300 FT VEIL HDG TO 6F4. I WAS THINKING AT THIS POINT TO DIVERT BECAUSE OF POOR COMS. AT THIS TIME APCH SAID, 'CONTACT THE TWR ON 120.1.' I FELT THEY WERE GOING TO ACCOMMODATE ME INTO ABI REGARDLESS OF MY POOR COMS. I DECIDED TO NOT DIVERT TO 6F4. I WAS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT DSNDING INTO THE APCH PATTERN, SO I STAYED HIGH AND APCHED THE APCH END OF RWY 17L AND RWY 17R THINKING THAT IF APCH AND I WERE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE THAT ALL APCHING ACFT WOULD BE LNDG UNDER ME. I WAS LOOKING FOR A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TWR. I HAVE NEVER BEEN AT AN ARPT THAT WAS USING OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO TAKE OFF AND LAND ACFT AND WAS SURPRISED WHEN I SAW A T38 TAKING OFF ON RWY 35R. HE CLBED OUT L, OR E, IN FRONT OF ME. I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS BEFORE OR AFTER THIS EVENT THAT CTL GAVE ME CLRNC FOR RWY 17R. I LANDED WITHOUT ANY OTHER EVENT ON THE GND. I FOUND THAT A WIRE HAD COME LOOSE ON MY RADIO XMITTER SIDE.
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.