Narrative:

Incident occurred while holding short of runway 35 at vld. Scheduled part 121 flight vld to atl. Taxied out for departure and was advised by the tower that they were coordinating with ZJX. This was a sunday and as a result vld approach control was closed and ZJX was issuing all arriving aircraft the full ILS runway 35 into vld. This approach requires flight direct to the VOR located on the field then outbound on the 212 degree radial, join a 12 DME arc, then join the localizer. Vld tower advised us of an inbound bonanza on this approach and that we would be released after he landed. The bonanza proceeded to the VOR as published and began to track outbound on the 212 degree radial. The E120 we were in had a 'look up' feature on the TCASII which allowed us to 'follow' the bonanza as he began the approach. WX was 1300 ft overcast, 5-7 NM visibility. As the bonanza joined the 12 DME arc, we were no longer able to watch the aircraft on our TCASII as the 'look up' feature only extends out 10 mi. 10 mins passed and the bonanza was not to be seen. About this time the bonanza reported to the tower that he had all flags on GS and localizer. Tower advised that everything was operational and to check his radios. Bonanza did that and then advised the tower that he was just going to track inbound back to the VOR. I would have expected the 'execute missed approach' order at this time, but instead he was told 'roger, report the field in sight.' WX was below any MDA or MSA. The bonanza reappeared on our TCASII several mins (approximately 10) later, 10 mi west of the field. The original approach course would have put him 10 mi south. I queried tower as to the fact that this bonanza was now west and not south at all. The tower seemed confused then queried the bonanza. He had now dropped below the bases, reported the field in sight, and landed. Problems: 1) approach control closed on sunday providing no radar service. Vld is 200 ft MSL and flat. If any kind of other terrain existed, this bonanza pilot and any passenger would have been killed. The poor WX conditions combined with a complicated approach, a 'wkend' fair WX pilot, and an inoperative (closed) approach control facility easily combined to create a dangerous situation. (Perfect setup for a CFIT incident.) 2) the controller should have told the aircraft to execute an immediate missed approach, but instead tried to 'help' get this guy on the ground so that we could depart. The tower controller completely dropped the ball. 3) the bonanza pilot should have recognized and admitted to the tower that he was lost and disoriented. As I see it this was not one small far violation. It was many which could have quickly combined to be fatal. I would like to add that in this case the 'look up' feature of the onboard TCASII was useful in advising the tower that a dangerous situation was developing. If the distance that the TCASII could see out was greater, then chain of errors might have been broken sooner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB120 PIC RPT ON THE ILLEGAL APCH PROCS EMPLOYED BY A BONANZA ATTEMPTING AN ILS RWY 35 INTO VLD, GA.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 35 AT VLD. SCHEDULED PART 121 FLT VLD TO ATL. TAXIED OUT FOR DEP AND WAS ADVISED BY THE TWR THAT THEY WERE COORDINATING WITH ZJX. THIS WAS A SUNDAY AND AS A RESULT VLD APCH CTL WAS CLOSED AND ZJX WAS ISSUING ALL ARRIVING ACFT THE FULL ILS RWY 35 INTO VLD. THIS APCH REQUIRES FLT DIRECT TO THE VOR LOCATED ON THE FIELD THEN OUTBOUND ON THE 212 DEG RADIAL, JOIN A 12 DME ARC, THEN JOIN THE LOC. VLD TWR ADVISED US OF AN INBOUND BONANZA ON THIS APCH AND THAT WE WOULD BE RELEASED AFTER HE LANDED. THE BONANZA PROCEEDED TO THE VOR AS PUBLISHED AND BEGAN TO TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE 212 DEG RADIAL. THE E120 WE WERE IN HAD A 'LOOK UP' FEATURE ON THE TCASII WHICH ALLOWED US TO 'FOLLOW' THE BONANZA AS HE BEGAN THE APCH. WX WAS 1300 FT OVCST, 5-7 NM VISIBILITY. AS THE BONANZA JOINED THE 12 DME ARC, WE WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO WATCH THE ACFT ON OUR TCASII AS THE 'LOOK UP' FEATURE ONLY EXTENDS OUT 10 MI. 10 MINS PASSED AND THE BONANZA WAS NOT TO BE SEEN. ABOUT THIS TIME THE BONANZA RPTED TO THE TWR THAT HE HAD ALL FLAGS ON GS AND LOC. TWR ADVISED THAT EVERYTHING WAS OPERATIONAL AND TO CHK HIS RADIOS. BONANZA DID THAT AND THEN ADVISED THE TWR THAT HE WAS JUST GOING TO TRACK INBOUND BACK TO THE VOR. I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE 'EXECUTE MISSED APCH' ORDER AT THIS TIME, BUT INSTEAD HE WAS TOLD 'ROGER, RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT.' WX WAS BELOW ANY MDA OR MSA. THE BONANZA REAPPEARED ON OUR TCASII SEVERAL MINS (APPROX 10) LATER, 10 MI W OF THE FIELD. THE ORIGINAL APCH COURSE WOULD HAVE PUT HIM 10 MI S. I QUERIED TWR AS TO THE FACT THAT THIS BONANZA WAS NOW W AND NOT S AT ALL. THE TWR SEEMED CONFUSED THEN QUERIED THE BONANZA. HE HAD NOW DROPPED BELOW THE BASES, RPTED THE FIELD IN SIGHT, AND LANDED. PROBS: 1) APCH CTL CLOSED ON SUNDAY PROVIDING NO RADAR SVC. VLD IS 200 FT MSL AND FLAT. IF ANY KIND OF OTHER TERRAIN EXISTED, THIS BONANZA PLT AND ANY PAX WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE POOR WX CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH A COMPLICATED APCH, A 'WKEND' FAIR WX PLT, AND AN INOP (CLOSED) APCH CTL FACILITY EASILY COMBINED TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SIT. (PERFECT SETUP FOR A CFIT INCIDENT.) 2) THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE ACFT TO EXECUTE AN IMMEDIATE MISSED APCH, BUT INSTEAD TRIED TO 'HELP' GET THIS GUY ON THE GND SO THAT WE COULD DEPART. THE TWR CTLR COMPLETELY DROPPED THE BALL. 3) THE BONANZA PLT SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED AND ADMITTED TO THE TWR THAT HE WAS LOST AND DISORIENTED. AS I SEE IT THIS WAS NOT ONE SMALL FAR VIOLATION. IT WAS MANY WHICH COULD HAVE QUICKLY COMBINED TO BE FATAL. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IN THIS CASE THE 'LOOK UP' FEATURE OF THE ONBOARD TCASII WAS USEFUL IN ADVISING THE TWR THAT A DANGEROUS SIT WAS DEVELOPING. IF THE DISTANCE THAT THE TCASII COULD SEE OUT WAS GREATER, THEN CHAIN OF ERRORS MIGHT HAVE BEEN BROKEN SOONER.

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.