Narrative:

Arriving late at night to spokane airport, I was anticipating an ILS approach to runway 21 based on forecast winds. Geg does not have automated ATIS via ACARS, so I was caught a little off guard when we finally received ATIS over communication radio and found I was shooting a visual approach to runway 25. I assumed this would be an uneventful approach using a PAPI for vertical guidance, but in hindsight I was complacent in preparing for a night visual approach into an unfamiliar airport, after a long day, with fatigue setting in (on duty 11 hours, awake 16 hours, short sleep night before). Arriving from the east over mlp, we acquired the runway visually while at 7000 ft and approximately 18 NM from airport. We reported airport in sight to approach control and they cleared us for a visual approach. I selected 4000 ft and initiated a descent to this altitude. At approximately 12 NM approaching 5000 ft, I finally noticed very tall lighted towers ahead and slightly left of us. I leveled off and stated this to first officer. Approach control then asked, 'do you have towers in sight' indicating they too were concerned. I then initiated a climb up to 5500 ft and visually cleared these towers by approximately 1000 ft and slightly to the north. Although this was a visual approach, I was still heads down in the cockpit a lot using our glass automation (map display) and vertical path indications to fly in to the runway. FMS vertical path indications showed me high, so I was descending to reacquire FMS path. This could have put me in conflict with these towers. I was using my familiar FMS guidance, when I should have been heads up using PAPI and outside visual cues for this approach. Fortunately I did notice towers visually and they were slightly south of our course, but a conflict could easily have occurred given my mindset, unfamiliarity with geg terrain, and fatigue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC CAME NEAR AN OBSTRUCTION WHILE ON A VISUAL APCH TO GEG.

Narrative: ARRIVING LATE AT NIGHT TO SPOKANE ARPT, I WAS ANTICIPATING AN ILS APCH TO RWY 21 BASED ON FORECAST WINDS. GEG DOES NOT HAVE AUTOMATED ATIS VIA ACARS, SO I WAS CAUGHT A LITTLE OFF GUARD WHEN WE FINALLY RECEIVED ATIS OVER COM RADIO AND FOUND I WAS SHOOTING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25. I ASSUMED THIS WOULD BE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH USING A PAPI FOR VERT GUIDANCE, BUT IN HINDSIGHT I WAS COMPLACENT IN PREPARING FOR A NIGHT VISUAL APCH INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, AFTER A LONG DAY, WITH FATIGUE SETTING IN (ON DUTY 11 HRS, AWAKE 16 HRS, SHORT SLEEP NIGHT BEFORE). ARRIVING FROM THE E OVER MLP, WE ACQUIRED THE RWY VISUALLY WHILE AT 7000 FT AND APPROX 18 NM FROM ARPT. WE RPTED ARPT IN SIGHT TO APCH CTL AND THEY CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH. I SELECTED 4000 FT AND INITIATED A DSCNT TO THIS ALT. AT APPROX 12 NM APCHING 5000 FT, I FINALLY NOTICED VERY TALL LIGHTED TWRS AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY L OF US. I LEVELED OFF AND STATED THIS TO FO. APCH CTL THEN ASKED, 'DO YOU HAVE TWRS IN SIGHT' INDICATING THEY TOO WERE CONCERNED. I THEN INITIATED A CLB UP TO 5500 FT AND VISUALLY CLRED THESE TWRS BY APPROX 1000 FT AND SLIGHTLY TO THE N. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS A VISUAL APCH, I WAS STILL HEADS DOWN IN THE COCKPIT A LOT USING OUR GLASS AUTOMATION (MAP DISPLAY) AND VERT PATH INDICATIONS TO FLY IN TO THE RWY. FMS VERT PATH INDICATIONS SHOWED ME HIGH, SO I WAS DSNDING TO REACQUIRE FMS PATH. THIS COULD HAVE PUT ME IN CONFLICT WITH THESE TWRS. I WAS USING MY FAMILIAR FMS GUIDANCE, WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN HEADS UP USING PAPI AND OUTSIDE VISUAL CUES FOR THIS APCH. FORTUNATELY I DID NOTICE TWRS VISUALLY AND THEY WERE SLIGHTLY S OF OUR COURSE, BUT A CONFLICT COULD EASILY HAVE OCCURRED GIVEN MY MINDSET, UNFAMILIARITY WITH GEG TERRAIN, AND FATIGUE.

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.