Descent below visual GS in low visibility conditions initiated by the flight crew of a DC9 on the lda approach runway 22 for a circle to runway 31 at lga, ny.

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Attributes
ACN	587137
Time
Date	200307
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	other
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument non precision approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	587137
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Airport Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descent below stepdown altitude on intermediate approach segment. With the haze and dusk, we thought we had the pier and runway in sight to runway 31 and were transitioning to visual. We saw 2 very bright lights (white) that looked like VASI/PAPI, to the left of runway. When we started descent, neither light was changing to show a correction to or on glide path. We decided that the DME and these lights were not correct given our altitude and distance to runway. We stopped descent, continued on localizer. Just as we started to climb back up the rear pier, runway, and VASI came into sight. We descended a couple of hundred ft before recognized our mistake. Shortly after we recognized the situation, the controller gave a couple of altitude alerts and altimeter settings. Had the visibility been better or worse or the shadows been different, this wouldn't have occurred. Better visibility and we would have known that wasn't the runway. Decreased visibility and we wouldn't have seen what we thought was the runway 4 stayed strictly on instrument approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DSCNT BELOW VISUAL GS IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS INITIATED BY THE FLT CREW OF A DC9 ON THE LDA APCH RWY 22 FOR A CIRCLE TO RWY 31 AT LGA, NY.

Narrative: DSCNT BELOW STEPDOWN ALT ON INTERMEDIATE APCH SEGMENT. WITH THE HAZE AND DUSK, WE THOUGHT WE HAD THE PIER AND RWY IN SIGHT TO RWY 31 AND WERE TRANSITIONING TO VISUAL. WE SAW 2 VERY BRIGHT LIGHTS (WHITE) THAT LOOKED LIKE VASI/PAPI, TO THE L OF RWY. WHEN WE STARTED DSCNT, NEITHER LIGHT WAS CHANGING TO SHOW A CORRECTION TO OR ON GLIDE PATH. WE DECIDED THAT THE DME AND THESE LIGHTS WERE NOT CORRECT GIVEN OUR ALT AND DISTANCE TO RWY. WE STOPPED DSCNT, CONTINUED ON LOC. JUST AS WE STARTED TO CLB BACK UP THE REAR PIER, RWY, AND VASI CAME INTO SIGHT. WE DSNDED A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT BEFORE RECOGNIZED OUR MISTAKE. SHORTLY AFTER WE RECOGNIZED THE SIT, THE CTLR GAVE A COUPLE OF ALT ALERTS AND ALTIMETER SETTINGS. HAD THE VISIBILITY BEEN BETTER OR WORSE OR THE SHADOWS BEEN DIFFERENT, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE OCCURRED. BETTER VISIBILITY AND WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT WASN'T THE RWY. DECREASED VISIBILITY AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE RWY 4 STAYED STRICTLY ON INST APCH.

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.