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Flight crew of small transport makes a go around at atl due to their improper operation of the aircraft's ILS and GPS system. A lack of cockpit discipline in the approach environment contributed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 585692 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200306 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : atl.airport |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm Turbulence Rain Fog |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : a80.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 8l |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 45 |
| ASRS Report | 585692 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert flight crew : executed go around flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
My co-captain, the guy I have flown with for the last 16 yrs, is recovering from an automatic accident. I have hired a young man on a contract basis to fill in. He and I are on our first IFR flight and the WX is down and dirty. Atl approach turns us on the base leg for the ILS to runway 8L. We doublechk all the settings in preparation for the turn to intercept the final. This is where I push the button to turn the flight director from the GPS to the #1 localizer. At that moment the boss calls and wants to know how much longer. Answered him as approach gives a turn to intercept and descend. I call for 1/2 flaps and reach for the button again. My copilot lowers full flaps while we are 40 KTS above the flap speed. I catch it and reset the flaps. He is apologizing for the flaps as I reach for that button again, and realize approach is talking to us. I respond to approach and notice that the flight director is showing a red flag on the GS. Not good! I glance over and see the #2 localizer and the GS on the copilot side is alive and functioning. No problem! I think, 'I will fly the #1 localizer and the #2 GS.' established on final and all is well for a moment. #1 is requiring a correction to the right. I correct. Localizer does not correct so I correct some more. Here is where the copilot says, 'don't we need to go left?' #1 needle says go right -- #2 says go left. In the moment we debated which was right and I started a turn left knowing that the approach to runway 9R was to our right and at that moment approach calls with a firm, 'turn left now.' we broke off the approach and went around. On the second approach, I fly the #2 and we completed the landing without any further excitement. At XA00 the next morning I sat up in the bed and said something ugly about the 'button.' #1 was not broken, as I had decided. It was responding to the GPS, not the localizer frequency. Now, this is the important part. GPS units can be wired so that when the pilot switches to the localizer frequency the unit will automatically switch to the localizer. The modification will be accomplished at our next scheduled maintenance stop. Maybe we should consider addressing this with an airworthiness directive.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF SMT MAKES A GAR AT ATL DUE TO THEIR IMPROPER OP OF THE ACFT'S ILS AND GPS SYS. A LACK OF COCKPIT DISCIPLINE IN THE APCH ENVIRONMENT CONTRIBUTED.
Narrative: MY CO-CAPT, THE GUY I HAVE FLOWN WITH FOR THE LAST 16 YRS, IS RECOVERING FROM AN AUTO ACCIDENT. I HAVE HIRED A YOUNG MAN ON A CONTRACT BASIS TO FILL IN. HE AND I ARE ON OUR FIRST IFR FLT AND THE WX IS DOWN AND DIRTY. ATL APCH TURNS US ON THE BASE LEG FOR THE ILS TO RWY 8L. WE DOUBLECHK ALL THE SETTINGS IN PREPARATION FOR THE TURN TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL. THIS IS WHERE I PUSH THE BUTTON TO TURN THE FLT DIRECTOR FROM THE GPS TO THE #1 LOC. AT THAT MOMENT THE BOSS CALLS AND WANTS TO KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER. ANSWERED HIM AS APCH GIVES A TURN TO INTERCEPT AND DSND. I CALL FOR 1/2 FLAPS AND REACH FOR THE BUTTON AGAIN. MY COPLT LOWERS FULL FLAPS WHILE WE ARE 40 KTS ABOVE THE FLAP SPD. I CATCH IT AND RESET THE FLAPS. HE IS APOLOGIZING FOR THE FLAPS AS I REACH FOR THAT BUTTON AGAIN, AND REALIZE APCH IS TALKING TO US. I RESPOND TO APCH AND NOTICE THAT THE FLT DIRECTOR IS SHOWING A RED FLAG ON THE GS. NOT GOOD! I GLANCE OVER AND SEE THE #2 LOC AND THE GS ON THE COPLT SIDE IS ALIVE AND FUNCTIONING. NO PROB! I THINK, 'I WILL FLY THE #1 LOC AND THE #2 GS.' ESTABLISHED ON FINAL AND ALL IS WELL FOR A MOMENT. #1 IS REQUIRING A CORRECTION TO THE R. I CORRECT. LOC DOES NOT CORRECT SO I CORRECT SOME MORE. HERE IS WHERE THE COPLT SAYS, 'DON'T WE NEED TO GO L?' #1 NEEDLE SAYS GO R -- #2 SAYS GO L. IN THE MOMENT WE DEBATED WHICH WAS RIGHT AND I STARTED A TURN L KNOWING THAT THE APCH TO RWY 9R WAS TO OUR R AND AT THAT MOMENT APCH CALLS WITH A FIRM, 'TURN L NOW.' WE BROKE OFF THE APCH AND WENT AROUND. ON THE SECOND APCH, I FLY THE #2 AND WE COMPLETED THE LNDG WITHOUT ANY FURTHER EXCITEMENT. AT XA00 THE NEXT MORNING I SAT UP IN THE BED AND SAID SOMETHING UGLY ABOUT THE 'BUTTON.' #1 WAS NOT BROKEN, AS I HAD DECIDED. IT WAS RESPONDING TO THE GPS, NOT THE LOC FREQ. NOW, THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART. GPS UNITS CAN BE WIRED SO THAT WHEN THE PLT SWITCHES TO THE LOC FREQ THE UNIT WILL AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH TO THE LOC. THE MODIFICATION WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED AT OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MAINT STOP. MAYBE WE SHOULD CONSIDER ADDRESSING THIS WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.
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.