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Small aircraft private instrument rated pilot became disoriented during an NDB approach resulting in making an approach to a nearby military base and vectored back to original approach by ATCT controller assistance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 501020 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200102 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pns.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p31.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other ndb |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument non precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 810 flight time type : 350 |
| ASRS Report | 501020 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other controllerb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was in IMC, being vectored to the NDB approach for runway 35 at pns. For some reason, I became disoriented and believed we were east of pns, instead of west (despite the fact my ADF needle was pointing left -- we were sbound). I kept checking the ADF, thinking it was wrong. When we broke out under the clouds, I saw an airport to my right and called it as pns to ATC, who handed me off to pns tower and cleared me for a visual approach. The tower noted my position and asked if I had pns or the navy airfield in sight. I immediately recognized my error and admitted that I had the NAS in sight and not pns. I was handed back to approach, and I sheepishly followed ATC's vectors to the NDB and made an uneventful landing. Because of this error, I have to say that I did not get my mind fully back on the approach and it was somewhat sloppy. However, I had pns in sight from the time I entered the base leg of the vectored approach. I believe this disorientation occurred because the last time I was in this airspace (which I am not very familiar with), I was vectored down the east side of pns (at night) and I expected to see the airport on the right side of the plane (also, the NAS is laid out in a similar fashion to pns). At the time of the incident, this upset me because I generally have very good position awareness. However, I will never take this for granted, as I have learned how easily disorientation can occur. I also will be inclined in the future to follow my instruments just as we are taught in training.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA PVT INST RATED PLT BECAME DISORIENTED DURING AN NDB APCH RESULTING IN MAKING AN APCH TO A NEARBY MIL BASE AND VECTORED BACK TO ORIGINAL APCH BY ATCT CTLR ASSISTANCE.
Narrative: I WAS IN IMC, BEING VECTORED TO THE NDB APCH FOR RWY 35 AT PNS. FOR SOME REASON, I BECAME DISORIENTED AND BELIEVED WE WERE E OF PNS, INSTEAD OF W (DESPITE THE FACT MY ADF NEEDLE WAS POINTING L -- WE WERE SBOUND). I KEPT CHKING THE ADF, THINKING IT WAS WRONG. WHEN WE BROKE OUT UNDER THE CLOUDS, I SAW AN ARPT TO MY R AND CALLED IT AS PNS TO ATC, WHO HANDED ME OFF TO PNS TWR AND CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL APCH. THE TWR NOTED MY POS AND ASKED IF I HAD PNS OR THE NAVY AIRFIELD IN SIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED MY ERROR AND ADMITTED THAT I HAD THE NAS IN SIGHT AND NOT PNS. I WAS HANDED BACK TO APCH, AND I SHEEPISHLY FOLLOWED ATC'S VECTORS TO THE NDB AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. BECAUSE OF THIS ERROR, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DID NOT GET MY MIND FULLY BACK ON THE APCH AND IT WAS SOMEWHAT SLOPPY. HOWEVER, I HAD PNS IN SIGHT FROM THE TIME I ENTERED THE BASE LEG OF THE VECTORED APCH. I BELIEVE THIS DISORIENTATION OCCURRED BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I WAS IN THIS AIRSPACE (WHICH I AM NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH), I WAS VECTORED DOWN THE E SIDE OF PNS (AT NIGHT) AND I EXPECTED TO SEE THE ARPT ON THE R SIDE OF THE PLANE (ALSO, THE NAS IS LAID OUT IN A SIMILAR FASHION TO PNS). AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THIS UPSET ME BECAUSE I GENERALLY HAVE VERY GOOD POS AWARENESS. HOWEVER, I WILL NEVER TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED, AS I HAVE LEARNED HOW EASILY DISORIENTATION CAN OCCUR. I ALSO WILL BE INCLINED IN THE FUTURE TO FOLLOW MY INSTS JUST AS WE ARE TAUGHT IN TRAINING.
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.