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Flight crew in B737 on visual approach to runway 27 following sighted traffic at iah were instructed to turn right immediately. While in the right 180 degree turn, the crew received a TCASII RA and encountered a B727 head-on.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 415620 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199810 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iah |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iah |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 13700 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 415620 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 416071 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2500 vertical : 600 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Downwind, left traffic under radar vectors for approach and landing to runway 27. Final approach controller pointed out traffic that we were to follow to runway 27. We saw the traffic and advised ATC the aircraft was in sight. ATC cleared us to follow that traffic and that we were then cleared for a visual approach to runway 27. At 2000 ft, just as we were beginning our left base to final turn, ATC advised us to make an immediate hard right turn to a heading of 180 degrees magnetic (which was a 180 degrees turn for us). As our heading went through 090 degrees in our turn, we encountered a B727 head-on with us. Our TCASII advised us to descend, the B727 began a climb and a turn to the south. To this date, I do not know if this situation was caused by pilot or ATC miscom, or misunderstanding. However, at the time, it was dusk with simultaneous parallel visual approachs during a very busy arrival time at a hub airport. Under these conditions, it may be prudent to not issue or accept visual approachs.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC IN B737 ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27 FOLLOWING SIGHTED TFC AT IAH WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN R IMMEDIATELY. WHILE IN THE R 180 DEG TURN, THE CREW RECEIVED A TCASII RA AND ENCOUNTERED A B727 HEAD-ON.
Narrative: DOWNWIND, L TFC UNDER RADAR VECTORS FOR APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 27. FINAL APCH CTLR POINTED OUT TFC THAT WE WERE TO FOLLOW TO RWY 27. WE SAW THE TFC AND ADVISED ATC THE ACFT WAS IN SIGHT. ATC CLRED US TO FOLLOW THAT TFC AND THAT WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27. AT 2000 FT, JUST AS WE WERE BEGINNING OUR L BASE TO FINAL TURN, ATC ADVISED US TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE HARD R TURN TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS MAGNETIC (WHICH WAS A 180 DEGS TURN FOR US). AS OUR HDG WENT THROUGH 090 DEGS IN OUR TURN, WE ENCOUNTERED A B727 HEAD-ON WITH US. OUR TCASII ADVISED US TO DSND, THE B727 BEGAN A CLB AND A TURN TO THE S. TO THIS DATE, I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS SIT WAS CAUSED BY PLT OR ATC MISCOM, OR MISUNDERSTANDING. HOWEVER, AT THE TIME, IT WAS DUSK WITH SIMULTANEOUS PARALLEL VISUAL APCHS DURING A VERY BUSY ARR TIME AT A HUB ARPT. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, IT MAY BE PRUDENT TO NOT ISSUE OR ACCEPT VISUAL APCHS.
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.