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An american yankee low time private pilot with a malfunctioning mode C confuses the tower controller when giving an erred position report as 6 mi southwest of the airport when actually 6 mi northwest of lgb, ca.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 518716 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200107 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lgb.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lgb.tower tower : msp.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Yankee |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 518716 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
VFR inbound for lgb, ended up on short final for the wrong runway. First contact with lgb tower was 6 mi northwest, but I incorrectly reported my position as 6 mi southwest. Also, unknown to me, my mode C reported 100 ft when I was at 2000 ft. Based on this information, the controller thought I was a police helicopter that he had on his radar screen. He gave me vectors that were meant to take me to runway 25L, but since I was not where he thought I was, his vectors lined me up for runway 34L. When I was on short final, I read the painted numbers '34L,' and immediately informed the tower, and offered to go around. Tower concurred, and gave me a left turn to 250 degrees. They then gave me a left 180 degree turn to 070 degrees, which put me on downwind for runway 25L. At this point, I became reoriented, flew a nice pattern, and landed without further difficulty. Then came the dreaded call 'call the tower after you shut down.' I called the tower and had a talk with the tower supervisor. Explained everything. He was very nice, and told me to be careful. Contributing factors: 1) situational awareness (reported wrong position). 2) transponder gave wrong altitude, confusing the controller, and added to his stress level. The tower was very busy at that time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AMERICAN YANKEE LOW TIME PVT PLT WITH A MALFUNCTIONING MODE C CONFUSES THE TWR CTLR WHEN GIVING AN ERRED POS RPT AS 6 MI SW OF THE ARPT WHEN ACTUALLY 6 MI NW OF LGB, CA.
Narrative: VFR INBOUND FOR LGB, ENDED UP ON SHORT FINAL FOR THE WRONG RWY. FIRST CONTACT WITH LGB TWR WAS 6 MI NW, BUT I INCORRECTLY RPTED MY POS AS 6 MI SW. ALSO, UNKNOWN TO ME, MY MODE C RPTED 100 FT WHEN I WAS AT 2000 FT. BASED ON THIS INFO, THE CTLR THOUGHT I WAS A POLICE HELI THAT HE HAD ON HIS RADAR SCREEN. HE GAVE ME VECTORS THAT WERE MEANT TO TAKE ME TO RWY 25L, BUT SINCE I WAS NOT WHERE HE THOUGHT I WAS, HIS VECTORS LINED ME UP FOR RWY 34L. WHEN I WAS ON SHORT FINAL, I READ THE PAINTED NUMBERS '34L,' AND IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THE TWR, AND OFFERED TO GO AROUND. TWR CONCURRED, AND GAVE ME A L TURN TO 250 DEGS. THEY THEN GAVE ME A L 180 DEG TURN TO 070 DEGS, WHICH PUT ME ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 25L. AT THIS POINT, I BECAME REORIENTED, FLEW A NICE PATTERN, AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY. THEN CAME THE DREADED CALL 'CALL THE TWR AFTER YOU SHUT DOWN.' I CALLED THE TWR AND HAD A TALK WITH THE TWR SUPVR. EXPLAINED EVERYTHING. HE WAS VERY NICE, AND TOLD ME TO BE CAREFUL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) SITUATIONAL AWARENESS (RPTED WRONG POS). 2) XPONDER GAVE WRONG ALT, CONFUSING THE CTLR, AND ADDED TO HIS STRESS LEVEL. THE TWR WAS VERY BUSY AT THAT TIME.
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.