Narrative:

After a VOR approach to the lewiston airport, air carrier X was cleared for a visual approach to runway 11. Moderate ice and turbulence were encountered en route and on the descent for the VOR approach to the airport. Ice was obscuring some of the vision outside the aircraft. It made it difficult to identify runway 11 with the blending town and airport lights. The lower the aircraft descended the more frequent moderate turbulence became with stronger up- and down-drafts experienced. Increased airspeed was used during final approach and maneuvering for landing. When the aircraft turned final approach the wind was 60 degrees to the runway gusting to 34 KTS. Because of the reduced visibility out the windshield, due to the residual ice that was still present (except where heating elements were in the windows) and the lack of a visual approach slope indicator system for that runway, the aircraft was low and below a normal glide path. On very short final windshear was encountered, causing the aircraft to descend dangerously low. The increased airspeed allowed the aircraft to recover and the airplane landed before a go around could be initiated. The workload for the PIC during similar conditions could be reduced if a VASI was incorporated for runway 11 at lewiston, identification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A FAIRCHILD SA-226 METROLINER SW4 LOST CTL OF ACFT DURING FINAL APCH DUE TO ENCOUNTER WITH LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR AND HIGH GUSTY XWIND CONDITION. THIS RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT LNDG BEFORE A GAR COULD BE INITIATED. IN ADDITION, THE RPTR HAD LIMITED VISION THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD DUE TO ACFT ICING.

Narrative: AFTER A VOR APCH TO THE LEWISTON ARPT, ACR X WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 11. MODERATE ICE AND TURB WERE ENCOUNTERED ENRTE AND ON THE DSCNT FOR THE VOR APCH TO THE ARPT. ICE WAS OBSCURING SOME OF THE VISION OUTSIDE THE ACFT. IT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO IDENT RWY 11 WITH THE BLENDING TOWN AND ARPT LIGHTS. THE LOWER THE ACFT DSNDED THE MORE FREQUENT MODERATE TURB BECAME WITH STRONGER UP- AND DOWN-DRAFTS EXPERIENCED. INCREASED AIRSPD WAS USED DURING FINAL APCH AND MANEUVERING FOR LNDG. WHEN THE ACFT TURNED FINAL APCH THE WIND WAS 60 DEGS TO THE RWY GUSTING TO 34 KTS. BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED VISIBILITY OUT THE WINDSHIELD, DUE TO THE RESIDUAL ICE THAT WAS STILL PRESENT (EXCEPT WHERE HEATING ELEMENTS WERE IN THE WINDOWS) AND THE LACK OF A VISUAL APCH SLOPE INDICATOR SYS FOR THAT RWY, THE ACFT WAS LOW AND BELOW A NORMAL GLIDE PATH. ON VERY SHORT FINAL WINDSHEAR WAS ENCOUNTERED, CAUSING THE ACFT TO DSND DANGEROUSLY LOW. THE INCREASED AIRSPD ALLOWED THE ACFT TO RECOVER AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED BEFORE A GAR COULD BE INITIATED. THE WORKLOAD FOR THE PIC DURING SIMILAR CONDITIONS COULD BE REDUCED IF A VASI WAS INCORPORATED FOR RWY 11 AT LEWISTON, ID.

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.