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Pilot of PA32-lance on ILS approach discovers REIL lighting inoperative. Aircraft following makes a missed approach.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 395466 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : glr |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Rockwell North American Twin Piston Undifferentiated or Other Mod |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : missed approach |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 380 flight time type : 60 |
| ASRS Report | 395466 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
ILS runway 9 approach to glr at dusk. ZMP did not have an overlay for the ILS, but cleared us for the full approach starting at the glr VOR-DME. We obtained the local altimeter from unicom and flew the entire approach including the procedure turn, no vectors to final. All navaids were operational -- NDB, ILS, DME, LOM. At the LOM we keyed the pilot controlled lighting to turn the landing light system to maximum. We also called unicom and ask if all the lights were on at maximum intensity -- unicom stated that they were. The approach proceeded smoothly, but we did not see the REIL system lights, but did see the runway lights just before the decision ht and were able to make a successful landing. Another plane approximately 5 mins behind us did not make the landing and had to execute the missed approach. I attribute it to the fact that it was a twin aeronautical commander with a faster approach speed and the fact that the natural lighting was fading fast. Also the light rain and fog in the area was becoming denser. After securing the plane I went into the airport control cabin attendant -- not really a control tower but a city operated observation area. I ask the operator why the REIL wasn't on. He said it was. I said I couldn't see it. He went on to explain that the lighting system was set to automatic and that the REIL came on automatically. When I looked at the lighting switch control panel I noticed that the REIL system switch was in the off position. I pointed this out to him and he seemed surprised and then said that it was set the way it should be. I believe that one of several possible things happened, either the operator did not set the lights properly, didn't know how to operate the system, or the equipment failed. In any case, in my opinion the lack of REIL caused a plane to miss the approach and posed a potential hazard because the REIL was not reported to be OTS and the minimums were not increased by the pilot because it was assumed the REIL was operational.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF PA32-LANCE ON ILS APCH DISCOVERS REIL LIGHTING INOP. ACFT FOLLOWING MAKES A MISSED APCH.
Narrative: ILS RWY 9 APCH TO GLR AT DUSK. ZMP DID NOT HAVE AN OVERLAY FOR THE ILS, BUT CLRED US FOR THE FULL APCH STARTING AT THE GLR VOR-DME. WE OBTAINED THE LCL ALTIMETER FROM UNICOM AND FLEW THE ENTIRE APCH INCLUDING THE PROC TURN, NO VECTORS TO FINAL. ALL NAVAIDS WERE OPERATIONAL -- NDB, ILS, DME, LOM. AT THE LOM WE KEYED THE PCL TO TURN THE LNDG LIGHT SYS TO MAX. WE ALSO CALLED UNICOM AND ASK IF ALL THE LIGHTS WERE ON AT MAX INTENSITY -- UNICOM STATED THAT THEY WERE. THE APCH PROCEEDED SMOOTHLY, BUT WE DID NOT SEE THE REIL SYS LIGHTS, BUT DID SEE THE RWY LIGHTS JUST BEFORE THE DECISION HT AND WERE ABLE TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG. ANOTHER PLANE APPROX 5 MINS BEHIND US DID NOT MAKE THE LNDG AND HAD TO EXECUTE THE MISSED APCH. I ATTRIBUTE IT TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS A TWIN AERO COMMANDER WITH A FASTER APCH SPD AND THE FACT THAT THE NATURAL LIGHTING WAS FADING FAST. ALSO THE LIGHT RAIN AND FOG IN THE AREA WAS BECOMING DENSER. AFTER SECURING THE PLANE I WENT INTO THE ARPT CTL CAB -- NOT REALLY A CTL TWR BUT A CITY OPERATED OBSERVATION AREA. I ASK THE OPERATOR WHY THE REIL WASN'T ON. HE SAID IT WAS. I SAID I COULDN'T SEE IT. HE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THE LIGHTING SYS WAS SET TO AUTOMATIC AND THAT THE REIL CAME ON AUTOMATICALLY. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE LIGHTING SWITCH CTL PANEL I NOTICED THAT THE REIL SYS SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POS. I POINTED THIS OUT TO HIM AND HE SEEMED SURPRISED AND THEN SAID THAT IT WAS SET THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. I BELIEVE THAT ONE OF SEVERAL POSSIBLE THINGS HAPPENED, EITHER THE OPERATOR DID NOT SET THE LIGHTS PROPERLY, DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO OPERATE THE SYS, OR THE EQUIP FAILED. IN ANY CASE, IN MY OPINION THE LACK OF REIL CAUSED A PLANE TO MISS THE APCH AND POSED A POTENTIAL HAZARD BECAUSE THE REIL WAS NOT RPTED TO BE OTS AND THE MINIMUMS WERE NOT INCREASED BY THE PLT BECAUSE IT WAS ASSUMED THE REIL WAS OPERATIONAL.
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.