Narrative:

We operated a trip into pkwa. The WX was VFR night. We were cleared for visual approach into airport. Prior to this we were cleared to descend to 1500 ft, entered a left downwind, continued on downwind. The runway in use was runway 6. As we passed abeam of the runway on left downwind and southwest of the field approximately 4 mi out on left downwind, we lost sight of the runway and turned left to heading of 195 degrees as depicted on NDB runway 6 approach crossing final to a heading of 195 degrees to do a procedure turn to turn around and position ourselves on final. The controller was talking to another aircraft that he was issuing or had issued a clearance to take off and was giving him a turn on course for his destination. The controller was on the frequency and communicating with that aircraft thus we could not transmit our intentions until he was done communicating with that aircraft. This airport has a short runway approach and departure is over ocean making night operations difficult. In fact there is a note that pilots have experienced vertigo while attempting to land at this field. We were waiting to talk to the controller to advise him that we were making a procedure turn to position ourselves on final for runway 6. Before we could do that the controller called and said it looks like you are making a procedure turn. Would you like an IFR clearance or vectors back to the NDB for the NDB runway 6 approach or would you like vectors to final. We said that we would like the vectors to final for the NDB approach, then we got a turn and heading of 030 degrees and to intercept the NDB 060 degree final. We did that and acquired the runway on final about 6 mi out on final. On final when we told him, the controller, we had the runway, he cleared us to land and stated to call the tower after landing. This airport at night is difficult and very short runway for the type of aircraft and there are no visual clues or ground lights overwater and no visual horizon for good reference unless you can keep the airport in sight at all times. Did call the tower and had a little discussion, mostly listening to him talk and scream and shout and yell. He was upset and our procedure of doing a procedure turn crossing final as depicted on the NDB procedure turn. Wanted to know if I took a check ride and when was the last time I got a check ride and doesn't our company train us with proficiency checks. Wanted to know if I had taken simulator rides. If I would fly or do this with a check airman onboard. I kept most of my comments to myself listening to him rant and rave.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC BECOMES DISORIENTED ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO PKWA, MARSHALL ISLANDS.

Narrative: WE OPERATED A TRIP INTO PKWA. THE WX WAS VFR NIGHT. WE WERE CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH INTO ARPT. PRIOR TO THIS WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 1500 FT, ENTERED A L DOWNWIND, CONTINUED ON DOWNWIND. THE RWY IN USE WAS RWY 6. AS WE PASSED ABEAM OF THE RWY ON L DOWNWIND AND SW OF THE FIELD APPROX 4 MI OUT ON L DOWNWIND, WE LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY AND TURNED L TO HEADING OF 195 DEGS AS DEPICTED ON NDB RWY 6 APCH XING FINAL TO A HEADING OF 195 DEGS TO DO A PROCEDURE TURN TO TURN AROUND AND POS OURSELVES ON FINAL. THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT THAT HE WAS ISSUING OR HAD ISSUED A CLRNC TO TAKE OFF AND WAS GIVING HIM A TURN ON COURSE FOR HIS DEST. THE CTLR WAS ON THE FREQ AND COMMUNICATING WITH THAT ACFT THUS WE COULD NOT XMIT OUR INTENTIONS UNTIL HE WAS DONE COMMUNICATING WITH THAT ACFT. THIS ARPT HAS A SHORT RWY APCH AND DEP IS OVER OCEAN MAKING NIGHT OPS DIFFICULT. IN FACT THERE IS A NOTE THAT PLTS HAVE EXPERIENCED VERTIGO WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT THIS FIELD. WE WERE WAITING TO TALK TO THE CTLR TO ADVISE HIM THAT WE WERE MAKING A PROC TURN TO POS OURSELVES ON FINAL FOR RWY 6. BEFORE WE COULD DO THAT THE CTLR CALLED AND SAID IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE MAKING A PROC TURN. WOULD YOU LIKE AN IFR CLRNC OR VECTORS BACK TO THE NDB FOR THE NDB RWY 6 APCH OR WOULD YOU LIKE VECTORS TO FINAL. WE SAID THAT WE WOULD LIKE THE VECTORS TO FINAL FOR THE NDB APCH, THEN WE GOT A TURN AND HEADING OF 030 DEGS AND TO INTERCEPT THE NDB 060 DEG FINAL. WE DID THAT AND ACQUIRED THE RWY ON FINAL ABOUT 6 MI OUT ON FINAL. ON FINAL WHEN WE TOLD HIM, THE CTLR, WE HAD THE RWY, HE CLRED US TO LAND AND STATED TO CALL THE TWR AFTER LNDG. THIS ARPT AT NIGHT IS DIFFICULT AND VERY SHORT RWY FOR THE TYPE OF ACFT AND THERE ARE NO VISUAL CLUES OR GND LIGHTS OVERWATER AND NO VISUAL HORIZON FOR GOOD REF UNLESS YOU CAN KEEP THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES. DID CALL THE TWR AND HAD A LITTLE DISCUSSION, MOSTLY LISTENING TO HIM TALK AND SCREAM AND SHOUT AND YELL. HE WAS UPSET AND OUR PROC OF DOING A PROC TURN XING FINAL AS DEPICTED ON THE NDB PROC TURN. WANTED TO KNOW IF I TOOK A CHK RIDE AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I GOT A CHK RIDE AND DOESN'T OUR COMPANY TRAIN US WITH PROFICIENCY CHKS. WANTED TO KNOW IF I HAD TAKEN SIMULATOR RIDES. IF I WOULD FLY OR DO THIS WITH A CHK AIRMAN ONBOARD. I KEPT MOST OF MY COMMENTS TO MYSELF LISTENING TO HIM RANT AND RAVE.

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.