 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Heading track deviation by a B737-300 flight crew when they lose communication frequency with approach controller at ord, il.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 582825 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200305 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ord.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : c90.tracon tower : ord.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : c90.tracon |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| ASRS Report | 582825 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 582818 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were on a 160 degree heading on left base for ILS runway 9R ord. I was PF. We could see ord and runway 9R in good VFR WX. Waiting for turn to final, the captain commented on shift change at approach and I agreed to new voices on communication #1. When we heard no commands at normal turn on to final, we both commented on that he is probably keeping us squared off for the closeness to aircraft we were following. Next I said, we are going to go through the localizer. Captain agreed. We go through the localizer and still no call. The captain starts looking at communication #1 for frequency and realizes we are on wrong frequency. He dials in a new frequency (last approach frequency we had). When he calls in, approach controller does not answer. I asked captain should we turn towards the runway. We both agree to start turning considering we are heading for runway 4R approach traffic at ord and to midway airport. Captain calls again to approach controller and gets the answer 'where are you aircraft X?' captain tells him and is told to contact another frequency which he does. We are still in the turn towards runway 9R localizer and the airport. New frequency and captain calls and gets contact and instructions to turn right heading 270 degrees. Later we get climb instructions to 5000 ft and we are being vectored back for another approach to runway 9R. We also get instructed to call approach on the ground. We do and they call it a 'non event,' just want to know what happened with the frequency swap and why we turned towards the runway of our heading 160 degrees. The captain explains our concern with traffic on approach on runway 4R and they understand our move. Supplemental information from acn 582818: WX was clear, runway and airplane ahead were also in sight. By the time we reestablished contact with ATC, they had taken us out of the flow for runway 9R and asked us to make a right turn back to the west. The lost communication was caused by the communication xfer switch being bumped or snagged by the seat belt strap and xferring to the runway 9R tower frequency sometime after the turn to a 160 degree heading.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HEADING TRACK DEV BY A B737-300 FLT CREW WHEN THEY LOSE COM FREQ WITH APCH CTLR AT ORD, IL.
Narrative: WE WERE ON A 160 DEG HDG ON L BASE FOR ILS RWY 9R ORD. I WAS PF. WE COULD SEE ORD AND RWY 9R IN GOOD VFR WX. WAITING FOR TURN TO FINAL, THE CAPT COMMENTED ON SHIFT CHANGE AT APCH AND I AGREED TO NEW VOICES ON COM #1. WHEN WE HEARD NO COMMANDS AT NORMAL TURN ON TO FINAL, WE BOTH COMMENTED ON THAT HE IS PROBABLY KEEPING US SQUARED OFF FOR THE CLOSENESS TO ACFT WE WERE FOLLOWING. NEXT I SAID, WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE LOC. CAPT AGREED. WE GO THROUGH THE LOC AND STILL NO CALL. THE CAPT STARTS LOOKING AT COM #1 FOR FREQ AND REALIZES WE ARE ON WRONG FREQ. HE DIALS IN A NEW FREQ (LAST APCH FREQ WE HAD). WHEN HE CALLS IN, APCH CTLR DOES NOT ANSWER. I ASKED CAPT SHOULD WE TURN TOWARDS THE RWY. WE BOTH AGREE TO START TURNING CONSIDERING WE ARE HEADING FOR RWY 4R APCH TFC AT ORD AND TO MIDWAY ARPT. CAPT CALLS AGAIN TO APCH CTLR AND GETS THE ANSWER 'WHERE ARE YOU ACFT X?' CAPT TELLS HIM AND IS TOLD TO CONTACT ANOTHER FREQ WHICH HE DOES. WE ARE STILL IN THE TURN TOWARDS RWY 9R LOC AND THE ARPT. NEW FREQ AND CAPT CALLS AND GETS CONTACT AND INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN R HEADING 270 DEGS. LATER WE GET CLB INSTRUCTIONS TO 5000 FT AND WE ARE BEING VECTORED BACK FOR ANOTHER APCH TO RWY 9R. WE ALSO GET INSTRUCTED TO CALL APCH ON THE GND. WE DO AND THEY CALL IT A 'NON EVENT,' JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE FREQ SWAP AND WHY WE TURNED TOWARDS THE RWY OF OUR HEADING 160 DEGS. THE CAPT EXPLAINS OUR CONCERN WITH TFC ON APCH ON RWY 4R AND THEY UNDERSTAND OUR MOVE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 582818: WX WAS CLR, RWY AND AIRPLANE AHEAD WERE ALSO IN SIGHT. BY THE TIME WE REESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ATC, THEY HAD TAKEN US OUT OF THE FLOW FOR RWY 9R AND ASKED US TO MAKE A R TURN BACK TO THE W. THE LOST COM WAS CAUSED BY THE COM XFER SWITCH BEING BUMPED OR SNAGGED BY THE SEAT BELT STRAP AND XFERRING TO THE RWY 9R TWR FREQ SOMETIME AFTER THE TURN TO A 160 DEG HDG.
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.