<< >> NASA ASRS Report 542414, March 2002

A DO328 first officer's report on a night visual approach and the possibility of CFIT when descending near 3000 ft direct to the airport 3 NM south of elm, ny.

Attributes
ACN	542414
Time
Date	200203
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : elm.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : elm.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Do 328 TP (Turboprop)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	542414
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

On approach to elm, I became concerned about a possibility of CFIT. We were approaching elm from the south at night. From flying into the airport on numerous times, I knew that there was a high terrain very close to the airport. We were cleared to proceed direct to the airport. When we acquired the field, we were cleared for a visual approach and told to contact the tower. I began to descend but stopped because I became concerned about the terrain. We had to make a turn away from the airport because we had not descended and were too high to make a normal approach. I am not sure how much clearance we had, but because it was dark, I became very uncomfortable. I believe that a safer vector would have been to proceed direct to the marker for runway 6 instead of direct to the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DO328 FO'S RPT ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH AND THE POSSIBILITY OF CFIT WHEN DSNDING NEAR 3000 FT DIRECT TO THE ARPT 3 NM S OF ELM, NY.

Narrative: ON APCH TO ELM, I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBILITY OF CFIT. WE WERE APCHING ELM FROM THE S AT NIGHT. FROM FLYING INTO THE ARPT ON NUMEROUS TIMES, I KNEW THAT THERE WAS A HIGH TERRAIN VERY CLOSE TO THE ARPT. WE WERE CLRED TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE ARPT. WHEN WE ACQUIRED THE FIELD, WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. I BEGAN TO DSND BUT STOPPED BECAUSE I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE TERRAIN. WE HAD TO MAKE A TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT BECAUSE WE HAD NOT DSNDED AND WERE TOO HIGH TO MAKE A NORMAL APCH. I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH CLRNC WE HAD, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS DARK, I BECAME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. I BELIEVE THAT A SAFER VECTOR WOULD HAVE BEEN TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE MARKER FOR RWY 6 INSTEAD OF DIRECT TO THE ARPT.

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.