 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B737-300 tries to find the VASI that is indicated in nearly every approach plate and government publication describing mdt only to discover that it was removed several years ago.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 463968 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200002 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mdt.airport |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mdt.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : charted visual approach : traffic pattern approach : visual arrival : vfr |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 463968 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airport Chart Or Publication |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
| Airport | procedure or policy : mdt.airport |
| Airspace Structure | class d : mdt.d |
| Chart | airport : mdt.airport |
Narrative:
Harrisburg international airport needs and does not have VASI lights installed on runway 31. The commercial airport qualification chart indicates VASI on both sides of the runway. This is incorrect. No lights are installed. Tower indicated they were removed several years ago for upgrade and were never reinstalled. ILS was recently out of service on runway 31. Tower was using visual apches. Visual approach is very difficult and dangerous over dark river at night without VASI. They still exist on runway 13. Ps: a military C130 unit is on the field. The military always has VASI on every runway. I wonder who dropped the ball at harrisburg.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-300 TRIES TO FIND THE VASI THAT IS INDICATED IN NEARLY EVERY APCH PLATE AND GOV PUB DESCRIBING MDT ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT IT WAS REMOVED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
Narrative: HARRISBURG INTL ARPT NEEDS AND DOES NOT HAVE VASI LIGHTS INSTALLED ON RWY 31. THE COMMERCIAL ARPT QUALIFICATION CHART INDICATES VASI ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RWY. THIS IS INCORRECT. NO LIGHTS ARE INSTALLED. TWR INDICATED THEY WERE REMOVED SEVERAL YEARS AGO FOR UPGRADE AND WERE NEVER REINSTALLED. ILS WAS RECENTLY OUT OF SVC ON RWY 31. TWR WAS USING VISUAL APCHES. VISUAL APCH IS VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS OVER DARK RIVER AT NIGHT WITHOUT VASI. THEY STILL EXIST ON RWY 13. PS: A MIL C130 UNIT IS ON THE FIELD. THE MIL ALWAYS HAS VASI ON EVERY RWY. I WONDER WHO DROPPED THE BALL AT HARRISBURG.
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.