Narrative:

Flying into jnu, ak, at night, and cleared for the lda approach into jnu airport. The final approach course is offset from the runway centerline so aircraft approach from the southwest and avoid rising terrain north and west of the runway. The MDA of the approach was greater than 2500 ft AGL, and the missed approach was greater than 2 mi from the runway end. Instructions indicated to fly visually from missed approach to airport. Our approach started IMC and became visual approximately 5 mi out. I had reviewed the plates for terrain. Most of the notes were about rising terrain north of runway, no circling north warnings, and missed approach instructions depicted due to rising terrain east of runway. I saw obstacles (terrain) just north of the centerline of runway, and assumed a high and slightly southerly approach would keep me clear of terrain. The mistake I made was we became VMC 5 mi out on the approach, and with the runway in sight abandoned the lda course, and moved closer to a straight-in approach. On short final, I found myself close to rising terrain near the approach end of the runway. I had to make a last min course correction to south of the runway centerline to avoid rising terrain. I should have never abandoned the lda approach just because I was visual with lots of visibility. I should have flown the lda to missed approach point and proceeded visually to the threshold from the southwest. I should have reviewed VFR charts prior to abandoning an LOA course in VFR conditions. I would have realized that a near straight-in approach is too close to terrain. The IFR approach charts addressed many warnings, but not specific warnings of high terrain, making near straight-in or slightly offset visual approachs difficult due to higher terrain near approach end of runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LJ25 PLT DEVIATED FROM THE CHARTED LDA-1 RWY 8 APCH TRACK AND ENCOUNTERED HIGH TERRAIN AT NIGHT AT JNU.

Narrative: FLYING INTO JNU, AK, AT NIGHT, AND CLRED FOR THE LDA APCH INTO JNU ARPT. THE FINAL APCH COURSE IS OFFSET FROM THE RWY CTRLINE SO ACFT APCH FROM THE SW AND AVOID RISING TERRAIN N AND W OF THE RWY. THE MDA OF THE APCH WAS GREATER THAN 2500 FT AGL, AND THE MISSED APCH WAS GREATER THAN 2 MI FROM THE RWY END. INSTRUCTIONS INDICATED TO FLY VISUALLY FROM MISSED APCH TO ARPT. OUR APCH STARTED IMC AND BECAME VISUAL APPROX 5 MI OUT. I HAD REVIEWED THE PLATES FOR TERRAIN. MOST OF THE NOTES WERE ABOUT RISING TERRAIN N OF RWY, NO CIRCLING N WARNINGS, AND MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS DEPICTED DUE TO RISING TERRAIN E OF RWY. I SAW OBSTACLES (TERRAIN) JUST N OF THE CTRLINE OF RWY, AND ASSUMED A HIGH AND SLIGHTLY SOUTHERLY APCH WOULD KEEP ME CLR OF TERRAIN. THE MISTAKE I MADE WAS WE BECAME VMC 5 MI OUT ON THE APCH, AND WITH THE RWY IN SIGHT ABANDONED THE LDA COURSE, AND MOVED CLOSER TO A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. ON SHORT FINAL, I FOUND MYSELF CLOSE TO RISING TERRAIN NEAR THE APCH END OF THE RWY. I HAD TO MAKE A LAST MIN COURSE CORRECTION TO S OF THE RWY CTRLINE TO AVOID RISING TERRAIN. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER ABANDONED THE LDA APCH JUST BECAUSE I WAS VISUAL WITH LOTS OF VISIBILITY. I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE LDA TO MISSED APCH POINT AND PROCEEDED VISUALLY TO THE THRESHOLD FROM THE SW. I SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED VFR CHARTS PRIOR TO ABANDONING AN LOA COURSE IN VFR CONDITIONS. I WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT A NEAR STRAIGHT-IN APCH IS TOO CLOSE TO TERRAIN. THE IFR APCH CHARTS ADDRESSED MANY WARNINGS, BUT NOT SPECIFIC WARNINGS OF HIGH TERRAIN, MAKING NEAR STRAIGHT-IN OR SLIGHTLY OFFSET VISUAL APCHS DIFFICULT DUE TO HIGHER TERRAIN NEAR APCH END OF RWY.

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.