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In violation of their company operations manual, B737-700 flight crew uses their FMS for an NDB approach to runway 12R at sat, tx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 616426 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200405 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : sat.vortac |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Weather Elements | other |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sat.tracon tower : sat.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other ndb |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument non precision approach : visual arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 27000 flight time type : 10000 |
| ASRS Report | 616426 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7600 |
| ASRS Report | 6164274500 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Navigational Facility Aircraft Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Got ATIS 150 mi from sat. Field VFR. ILS/visual to runway 12R. Descent routine. Handed off to approach and was cleared to alamo (OM) for NDB. I had the ILS already programmed in the FMC and went direct to alamo. We then selected NDB runway 12R from the arrival/approach page and briefed the NDB approach. The ILS appeared to be working and used it for back-up. Descended below the broken layer, picked up the field and proceeded VFR to uneventful landing. I thought we could use the FMS for NDB approachs. We use it for missed approachs and holding and it is in the database. I obviously missed that small paragraph in the operations manual. Oops! Supplemental information from acn 616427: the ILS data all seemed to be working normally. After landing, we discussed the issue of whether or not we were actually legal to shoot that 'NDB' approach. My question is, why would approach assign an NDB under deteriorating WX conditions when the ILS was obviously functional? The ILS to runway 3 was available, but since we were already over an hour late, adding 5 more mins to the flight was not a very palatable choice.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: IN VIOLATION OF THEIR COMPANY OPS MANUAL, B737-700 FLT CREW USES THEIR FMS FOR AN NDB APCH TO RWY 12R AT SAT, TX.
Narrative: GOT ATIS 150 MI FROM SAT. FIELD VFR. ILS/VISUAL TO RWY 12R. DSCNT ROUTINE. HANDED OFF TO APCH AND WAS CLRED TO ALAMO (OM) FOR NDB. I HAD THE ILS ALREADY PROGRAMMED IN THE FMC AND WENT DIRECT TO ALAMO. WE THEN SELECTED NDB RWY 12R FROM THE ARR/APCH PAGE AND BRIEFED THE NDB APCH. THE ILS APPEARED TO BE WORKING AND USED IT FOR BACK-UP. DSNDED BELOW THE BROKEN LAYER, PICKED UP THE FIELD AND PROCEEDED VFR TO UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I THOUGHT WE COULD USE THE FMS FOR NDB APCHS. WE USE IT FOR MISSED APCHS AND HOLDING AND IT IS IN THE DATABASE. I OBVIOUSLY MISSED THAT SMALL PARAGRAPH IN THE OPS MANUAL. OOPS! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 616427: THE ILS DATA ALL SEEMED TO BE WORKING NORMALLY. AFTER LNDG, WE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE ACTUALLY LEGAL TO SHOOT THAT 'NDB' APCH. MY QUESTION IS, WHY WOULD APCH ASSIGN AN NDB UNDER DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS WHEN THE ILS WAS OBVIOUSLY FUNCTIONAL? THE ILS TO RWY 3 WAS AVAILABLE, BUT SINCE WE WERE ALREADY OVER AN HR LATE, ADDING 5 MORE MINS TO THE FLT WAS NOT A VERY PALATABLE CHOICE.
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.