 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
During continuous snow removal operations at anc, ak, an air carrier flies the wrong ILS until corrected by tower after the handoff from TRACON.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 496679 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200101 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : a11.tracon |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : a11.tracon tower : anc.tower |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 6r other |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 18 controller time certified in position2 : 1 flight time total : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 496679 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach controller : combined radar controller : departure |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Experience | controller military : 4 controller radar : 18 flight time total : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 496678 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Facility ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance FAA |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
ATIS advertising 'continuous snow removal (order enclosed, ILS 6R/left), 6R is closed, 6L only arrival runway in use.' air carrier X checks in on arrival sector with current ATIS code, told to 'expect ILS 6L.' 6R is normal runway for air carrier arrivals. Pilot cleared to descend on FMS arrival and sent to final frequency at appropriate time. Air carrier X checks in on final (my position) and told again to expect 6L. Aircraft subsequently cleared for 'ILS 6L, maintain 170 KTS to webbi.' pilot acknowledged 'cleared for approach.' when sent to tower, pilot reported on final for 6R and was adamant that was approach he was cleared for. Aircraft landed 6L without further incident. I believe this was caused by 'continuous snow removal' procedure. The ATIS told the pilot to expect the ILS to 6R, even though the runway was closed, and had been closed for nearly an hour. The apparent purpose of this procedure is to eliminate the need to issue a NOTAM and make a new ATIS when a runway is closed. I think this procedure will eventually lead to an aircraft landing on a closed runway, occupied by snowplows, all to save five minutes of work. Callback revealed that this procedure has been in use for several years. It has worked quite well except for this one incident. There has been distribution of this procedure to all the operations offices of the carriers and other users of the airport. The reporter is concerned, however, about the advertising of an approach that is not available. There are the issues of a no radio aircraft who may fly the wrong approach when the runway is occupied by equipment.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING CONTINUOUS SNOW REMOVAL OPS AT ANC, AK, AN ACR FLIES THE WRONG ILS UNTIL CORRECTED BY TWR AFTER THE HDOF FROM TRACON.
Narrative: ATIS ADVERTISING 'CONTINUOUS SNOW REMOVAL (ORDER ENCLOSED, ILS 6R/L), 6R IS CLOSED, 6L ONLY ARRIVAL RWY IN USE.' ACR X CHECKS IN ON ARRIVAL SECTOR WITH CURRENT ATIS CODE, TOLD TO 'EXPECT ILS 6L.' 6R IS NORMAL RWY FOR AIR CARRIER ARRIVALS. PILOT CLEARED TO DESCEND ON FMS ARRIVAL AND SENT TO FINAL FREQ AT APPROPRIATE TIME. ACR X CHECKS IN ON FINAL (MY POSITION) AND TOLD AGAIN TO EXPECT 6L. ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY CLEARED FOR 'ILS 6L, MAINTAIN 170 KTS TO WEBBI.' PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED 'CLEARED FOR APPROACH.' WHEN SENT TO TOWER, PILOT REPORTED ON FINAL FOR 6R AND WAS ADAMANT THAT WAS APPROACH HE WAS CLEARED FOR. ACFT LANDED 6L WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THIS WAS CAUSED BY 'CONTINUOUS SNOW REMOVAL' PROCEDURE. THE ATIS TOLD THE PILOT TO EXPECT THE ILS TO 6R, EVEN THOUGH THE RWY WAS CLOSED, AND HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR NEARLY AN HOUR. THE APPARENT PURPOSE OF THIS PROCEDURE IS TO ELIMINATE THE NEED TO ISSUE A NOTAM AND MAKE A NEW ATIS WHEN A RWY IS CLOSED. I THINK THIS PROCEDURE WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO AN ACFT LANDING ON A CLOSED RWY, OCCUPIED BY SNOWPLOWS, ALL TO SAVE FIVE MINUTES OF WORK. CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THIS PROCEDURE HAS BEEN IN USE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IT HAS WORKED QUITE WELL EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE INCIDENT. THERE HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PROCEDURE TO ALL THE OPERATIONS OFFICES OF THE CARRIERS AND OTHER USERS OF THE AIRPORT. THE REPORTER IS CONCERNED, HOWEVER, ABOUT THE ADVERTISING OF AN APPROACH THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE. THERE ARE THE ISSUES OF A NO RADIO ACFT WHO MAY FLY THE WRONG APPROACH WHEN THE RWY IS OCCUPIED BY EQUIPMENT.
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.