 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An large transport aircraft descending into lax, descends visually in MVFR, only to be lined up on the wrong set of runways. Aircraft executes a go around and then makes an ILS approach.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 378959 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax tower : lax |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3400 flight time type : 160 |
| ASRS Report | 378959 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Vectored into lax area from the north. Lax was landing to the west using visual approachs. Was given descent to 2500 ft. Traffic was called out for us at 11 O'clock position heading for the south complex. I acknowledged the traffic to approach. He cleared us for a visual to runway 26R north complex. We lost the traffic as soon as he descended into the haze. We continued in on our last assigned heading until I called the runway in sight. It was extremely hazy so the captain and I continued to scan at our instruments for localizer intercept. I switched to lax tower at the same time that the complex came into focus. The runway that we saw had been the south complex due to the offset of runways at lax. Lax tower was instructing us to turn immediately as soon as we started to focus in on the air traffic area proper. We executed a go around. I informed tower that it was too hazy and that we had mistakenly headed for the south complex since that's what we saw first. Her comment was 'no problem, it happens sometimes.' we switched approach and informed him of the problem. He tried to clear us for another visual after we told him that we wanted an ILS. We flew the ILS into runway 26R and landed. Problems: WX wasn't good enough for visuals with that many aircraft in such a small area. I should have not accepted the visual since I couldn't see the entire lax complex. Approach hands you off too early in the area with marginal VMC.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN LGT ACFT DSNDING INTO LAX, DSNDS VISUALLY IN MVFR, ONLY TO BE LINED UP ON THE WRONG SET OF RWYS. ACFT EXECUTES A GAR AND THEN MAKES AN ILS APCH.
Narrative: VECTORED INTO LAX AREA FROM THE N. LAX WAS LNDG TO THE W USING VISUAL APCHS. WAS GIVEN DSCNT TO 2500 FT. TFC WAS CALLED OUT FOR US AT 11 O'CLOCK POS HEADING FOR THE SOUTH COMPLEX. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE TFC TO APCH. HE CLRED US FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 26R NORTH COMPLEX. WE LOST THE TFC AS SOON AS HE DSNDED INTO THE HAZE. WE CONTINUED IN ON OUR LAST ASSIGNED HEADING UNTIL I CALLED THE RWY IN SIGHT. IT WAS EXTREMELY HAZY SO THE CAPT AND I CONTINUED TO SCAN AT OUR INSTS FOR LOC INTERCEPT. I SWITCHED TO LAX TWR AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE COMPLEX CAME INTO FOCUS. THE RWY THAT WE SAW HAD BEEN THE SOUTH COMPLEX DUE TO THE OFFSET OF RWYS AT LAX. LAX TWR WAS INSTRUCTING US TO TURN IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS WE STARTED TO FOCUS IN ON THE ATA PROPER. WE EXECUTED A GAR. I INFORMED TWR THAT IT WAS TOO HAZY AND THAT WE HAD MISTAKENLY HEADED FOR THE SOUTH COMPLEX SINCE THAT'S WHAT WE SAW FIRST. HER COMMENT WAS 'NO PROB, IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES.' WE SWITCHED APCH AND INFORMED HIM OF THE PROB. HE TRIED TO CLR US FOR ANOTHER VISUAL AFTER WE TOLD HIM THAT WE WANTED AN ILS. WE FLEW THE ILS INTO RWY 26R AND LANDED. PROBS: WX WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR VISUALS WITH THAT MANY ACFT IN SUCH A SMALL AREA. I SHOULD HAVE NOT ACCEPTED THE VISUAL SINCE I COULDN'T SEE THE ENTIRE LAX COMPLEX. APCH HANDS YOU OFF TOO EARLY IN THE AREA WITH MARGINAL VMC.
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.