Air taxi aircraft, a PA31 on approach to lax, has many vectors and a change in traffic to follow and...

Attributes
ACN	419109
Time
Date	199811
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	419109
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Leaving vny for a tower en route control flight for lax (BURL2) I was given vectors for a final into lax and told to climb from the assigned 4000 ft to 5000 ft. During the climb, I requested a south runway. I was told that they may be too busy to fit me in, but to stand by. During vectors, I was asked what best airspeed I could give to a 3 mi final. I said that I could try 150-160 KTS. I was given further vectors and told to descend. During further vectors, I was told I'd be following, I believe, an MD11, which was then changed to a brasilia. During this time, I had inadvertently moved the card of the directional gyro, which has the tendency to stick in this particular plane (of course I only found this out later). I was trying to realign my heading, without much success due to the turns and dscnts, when I was given a final vector to the localizer runway 24R, while trying to juggle slowing the plane down, sorting out my heading and catch the localizer, I overshot the approach. Control told me I was left of course, I had already started to correct, then control gave me a 360 degree vector for resequencing, the second approach went without incident. I think several factors led to me getting behind the curve: 1) this was my first approach into lax and I was not prepared for the aerobatics involved into getting to final. I'd studied the charts but was surprised by the amount of vectors. 2) I was too enthusiastic in my desire to provide the controller with best forward speed, this put me at 160 KTS when I should have been at 120 KTS, which meant that both the plane and myself were performing outside of the envelope. 3) I failed to remedy the stuck directional gyro card before being given the final vector. I also should have told the controller I was having trouble with the heading. It was very busy -- by the time I thought about telling him, it was already too late. Since this has happened, I've spoken to my chief pilot and several other pilots who fly into lax and now have a better understanding of what to expect.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ACFT, A PA31 ON APCH TO LAX, HAS MANY VECTORS AND A CHANGE IN TFC TO FOLLOW AND REQUEST TO MAINTAIN A HIGH SPD. THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO IS STICKING AND HDGS ARE OFF AND IN TRYING TO SLOW THE ACFT, THE FINAL IS OVERSHOT.

Narrative: LEAVING VNY FOR A TWR ENRTE CTL FLT FOR LAX (BURL2) I WAS GIVEN VECTORS FOR A FINAL INTO LAX AND TOLD TO CLB FROM THE ASSIGNED 4000 FT TO 5000 FT. DURING THE CLB, I REQUESTED A S RWY. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY MAY BE TOO BUSY TO FIT ME IN, BUT TO STAND BY. DURING VECTORS, I WAS ASKED WHAT BEST AIRSPD I COULD GIVE TO A 3 MI FINAL. I SAID THAT I COULD TRY 150-160 KTS. I WAS GIVEN FURTHER VECTORS AND TOLD TO DSND. DURING FURTHER VECTORS, I WAS TOLD I'D BE FOLLOWING, I BELIEVE, AN MD11, WHICH WAS THEN CHANGED TO A BRASILIA. DURING THIS TIME, I HAD INADVERTENTLY MOVED THE CARD OF THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO, WHICH HAS THE TENDENCY TO STICK IN THIS PARTICULAR PLANE (OF COURSE I ONLY FOUND THIS OUT LATER). I WAS TRYING TO REALIGN MY HDG, WITHOUT MUCH SUCCESS DUE TO THE TURNS AND DSCNTS, WHEN I WAS GIVEN A FINAL VECTOR TO THE LOC RWY 24R, WHILE TRYING TO JUGGLE SLOWING THE PLANE DOWN, SORTING OUT MY HDG AND CATCH THE LOC, I OVERSHOT THE APCH. CTL TOLD ME I WAS L OF COURSE, I HAD ALREADY STARTED TO CORRECT, THEN CTL GAVE ME A 360 DEG VECTOR FOR RESEQUENCING, THE SECOND APCH WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT. I THINK SEVERAL FACTORS LED TO ME GETTING BEHIND THE CURVE: 1) THIS WAS MY FIRST APCH INTO LAX AND I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE AEROBATICS INVOLVED INTO GETTING TO FINAL. I'D STUDIED THE CHARTS BUT WAS SURPRISED BY THE AMOUNT OF VECTORS. 2) I WAS TOO ENTHUSIASTIC IN MY DESIRE TO PROVIDE THE CTLR WITH BEST FORWARD SPD, THIS PUT ME AT 160 KTS WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 120 KTS, WHICH MEANT THAT BOTH THE PLANE AND MYSELF WERE PERFORMING OUTSIDE OF THE ENVELOPE. 3) I FAILED TO REMEDY THE STUCK DIRECTIONAL GYRO CARD BEFORE BEING GIVEN THE FINAL VECTOR. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE CTLR I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE HDG. IT WAS VERY BUSY -- BY THE TIME I THOUGHT ABOUT TELLING HIM, IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE. SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED, I'VE SPOKEN TO MY CHIEF PLT AND SEVERAL OTHER PLTS WHO FLY INTO LAX AND NOW HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TO EXPECT.

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.

Air taxi aircraft, a PA31 on approach to lax, has many vectors and a change in traffic to follow and request to maintain a high speed. The directional gyro is sticking and headings are off and in trying to slow the aircraft, the final is overshot.