An MD80 PIC reports on the lack of terrain information for a night operation using visual approachs performed from the east for landing runway 26 at abq.

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Attributes
ACN	621720
Time
Date	200406
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq.airport
State Reference	NM
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : abq.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : abq.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	621720
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : msaw other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Navigational Facility Aircraft Airport Airspace Structure Company Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : abq.tower
Airport	procedure or policy : abq.airport
Chart	airport : abq.airport approach : abq.radar1

Narrative:

Night arrival at abq, WX cavu, wind 260 degrees at 8 KTS. Visuals to runway 26 were being conducted. All terrain information available was read and considered. B737 in front of us did a downwind, base and final to runway 26. During our turn to final at approximately 3 mi from the field, tower informed us there was a hill '1 mi off our nose and 1000 ft below us.' we were in a descent. This did not match the terrain information that we had read but we leveled off and changed course and had an uneventful landing. After parking and discussing the event with the first officer, we both came to the conclusion than not enough terrain information is available to us regarding landing on runway 26.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 PIC RPTS ON THE LACK OF TERRAIN INFO FOR A NIGHT OP USING VISUAL APCHS PERFORMED FROM THE E FOR LNDG RWY 26 AT ABQ.

Narrative: NIGHT ARR AT ABQ, WX CAVU, WIND 260 DEGS AT 8 KTS. VISUALS TO RWY 26 WERE BEING CONDUCTED. ALL TERRAIN INFO AVAILABLE WAS READ AND CONSIDERED. B737 IN FRONT OF US DID A DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL TO RWY 26. DURING OUR TURN TO FINAL AT APPROX 3 MI FROM THE FIELD, TWR INFORMED US THERE WAS A HILL '1 MI OFF OUR NOSE AND 1000 FT BELOW US.' WE WERE IN A DSCNT. THIS DID NOT MATCH THE TERRAIN INFO THAT WE HAD READ BUT WE LEVELED OFF AND CHANGED COURSE AND HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AFTER PARKING AND DISCUSSING THE EVENT WITH THE FO, WE BOTH CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAN NOT ENOUGH TERRAIN INFO IS AVAILABLE TO US REGARDING LNDG ON RWY 26.

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.