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Cleared for a visual and air carrier enters the clouds, admits it and is vectored for an instrument approach and subsequently another visual.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 540640 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200203 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pit.airport |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pit.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 540640 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Under approach control we were being vectored. On our downwind abeam we verified with approach that we had the field in sight. We then were cleared for a visual approach to runway 28R at pit. At the time, we were descending through 5000 ft and were cleared for 3000 ft. Upon turning base, I inadvertently entered the clouds. At this point we were in IMC and the captain reported this to ATC. We were then vectored back to the localizer and again made contact with the runway and cleared for another visual approach. No issues were made by ATC. This occurred while I was spending most of my time on instruments preparing aircraft confign and planning for a visual approach referencing the FMS display on my mfd. Contributing to this were lowering clouds east of the airport. Both the captain and myself realized entering the clouds at the same time. In the future I will be more cautious in accepting a visual approach and will spend more time looking outside the aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CLRED FOR A VISUAL AND ACR ENTERS THE CLOUDS, ADMITS IT AND IS VECTORED FOR AN INST APCH AND SUBSEQUENTLY ANOTHER VISUAL.
Narrative: UNDER APCH CTL WE WERE BEING VECTORED. ON OUR DOWNWIND ABEAM WE VERIFIED WITH APCH THAT WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE THEN WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R AT PIT. AT THE TIME, WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 5000 FT AND WERE CLRED FOR 3000 FT. UPON TURNING BASE, I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE CLOUDS. AT THIS POINT WE WERE IN IMC AND THE CAPT RPTED THIS TO ATC. WE WERE THEN VECTORED BACK TO THE LOC AND AGAIN MADE CONTACT WITH THE RWY AND CLRED FOR ANOTHER VISUAL APCH. NO ISSUES WERE MADE BY ATC. THIS OCCURRED WHILE I WAS SPENDING MOST OF MY TIME ON INSTS PREPARING ACFT CONFIGN AND PLANNING FOR A VISUAL APCH REFING THE FMS DISPLAY ON MY MFD. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS WERE LOWERING CLOUDS E OF THE ARPT. BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF REALIZED ENTERING THE CLOUDS AT THE SAME TIME. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE MORE CAUTIOUS IN ACCEPTING A VISUAL APCH AND WILL SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING OUTSIDE THE ACFT.
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.