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C414 first officer comments the new tower the FAA is building at cmh is 50 ft above the decision ht for all ILS approachs.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 541405 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200203 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cmh.airport |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | agl single value : 200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Fog |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : cmh.tower tower : mem.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Chancellor 414A & C414 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer only : 10r |
| Flight Phase | landing : missed approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 541405 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ground encounters other inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : executed missed approach |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA ATC Facility Airport |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Situations | |
| Airport | construction : cmh.airport design : cmh.airport |
Narrative:
This was a normal flight until we got to the bottom of the ILS. Apparently, the rabbit was not on, at last we had to miss and the air carrier behind us did too, then they started to get in again when the sun went down. The concern is the new control tower, which is not yet commissioned. The tower is between the runways, just beyond mid-field from runways 10L/right. The runways are (guesstimate) 1500-2000 ft apart. The top of the tower is (get this) 50 ft above the decision ht for all 4 runways. On mar/sun/02, I was the guy in the right seat, and when there was no runway to be found, I recommended missed approach, with vigor, since the new control tower was mighty close. My reason for writing is to express concern over the new tower. I am now, thankfully, an old CFI. You and I know how easy it is to make a missed approach and not really climb all that much for several seconds. The localizer beam gets narrower and the whole mind set must change on a missed approach, so it is not at all unusual to see a drifting to the left or right. Worse yet, single engine aircraft have a natural left turning tendency that is easily forgotten amid all the noise and climb and change of plans. Why are the approachs at cmh still at 200 ft with a tower nearby at 250 ft? I recall there are obstacle limits for various categories of aircraft, based on approach speed. I would be surprised if this tower doesn't bust category a. Somebody is going to hit that cumulo-concrete in the clouds, but it is not going to be me. Either the tower will have to be lowered or the approachs will have to be raised, which is no fun because the tower sure looks great to all the passenger, and the airlines might not like diverting all the time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the tower supervisor stated the tower ht is 210 ft above the airport. It complies with all terps criteria and will not affect the minimums for the ILS approachs.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C414 FO COMMENTS THE NEW TWR THE FAA IS BUILDING AT CMH IS 50 FT ABOVE THE DECISION HT FOR ALL ILS APCHS.
Narrative: THIS WAS A NORMAL FLT UNTIL WE GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ILS. APPARENTLY, THE RABBIT WAS NOT ON, AT LAST WE HAD TO MISS AND THE ACR BEHIND US DID TOO, THEN THEY STARTED TO GET IN AGAIN WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN. THE CONCERN IS THE NEW CTL TWR, WHICH IS NOT YET COMMISSIONED. THE TWR IS BTWN THE RWYS, JUST BEYOND MID-FIELD FROM RWYS 10L/R. THE RWYS ARE (GUESSTIMATE) 1500-2000 FT APART. THE TOP OF THE TWR IS (GET THIS) 50 FT ABOVE THE DECISION HT FOR ALL 4 RWYS. ON MAR/SUN/02, I WAS THE GUY IN THE R SEAT, AND WHEN THERE WAS NO RWY TO BE FOUND, I RECOMMENDED MISSED APCH, WITH VIGOR, SINCE THE NEW CTL TWR WAS MIGHTY CLOSE. MY REASON FOR WRITING IS TO EXPRESS CONCERN OVER THE NEW TWR. I AM NOW, THANKFULLY, AN OLD CFI. YOU AND I KNOW HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE A MISSED APCH AND NOT REALLY CLB ALL THAT MUCH FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. THE LOC BEAM GETS NARROWER AND THE WHOLE MIND SET MUST CHANGE ON A MISSED APCH, SO IT IS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL TO SEE A DRIFTING TO THE L OR R. WORSE YET, SINGLE ENG ACFT HAVE A NATURAL L TURNING TENDENCY THAT IS EASILY FORGOTTEN AMID ALL THE NOISE AND CLB AND CHANGE OF PLANS. WHY ARE THE APCHS AT CMH STILL AT 200 FT WITH A TWR NEARBY AT 250 FT? I RECALL THERE ARE OBSTACLE LIMITS FOR VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF ACFT, BASED ON APCH SPD. I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THIS TWR DOESN'T BUST CATEGORY A. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HIT THAT CUMULO-CONCRETE IN THE CLOUDS, BUT IT IS NOT GOING TO BE ME. EITHER THE TWR WILL HAVE TO BE LOWERED OR THE APCHS WILL HAVE TO BE RAISED, WHICH IS NO FUN BECAUSE THE TWR SURE LOOKS GREAT TO ALL THE PAX, AND THE AIRLINES MIGHT NOT LIKE DIVERTING ALL THE TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE TWR SUPVR STATED THE TWR HT IS 210 FT ABOVE THE ARPT. IT COMPLIES WITH ALL TERPS CRITERIA AND WILL NOT AFFECT THE MINIMUMS FOR THE ILS APCHS.
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.