Narrative:

Aircraft were being vectored for staggered ILS apches, medium large transport X for runway 3L and small transport Y for runway 3R. Medium large transport X and small transport Y were staggered by approach, but due to aircraft performance, medium large transport X and small transport Y went down the locs side by side. This should not have happened (they ended up side by side 1 1/2 mi final). Contributing factors: the main factor I believe is there are no approach lights for runway 3R and haven't been any for 6 months. The WX was IFR. When small transport Y broke out he probably saw approach lights off his left and went for the runway. One problem is the runway was 3L, and medium large transport X was on short final and small transport Y landed right behind him. Actual distance they missed by is unknown. Other contributing factors were the ARTS system at dtw. The ARTS keep coasting off their targets, so you're not really sure where your target is all the time. This has been going on for several months. Arwy facs have shut the radar down several times, but say they can't find the problem, so we work with it as is. How was it discovered? It was discovered by the local east control. They asked, 'small transport Y, are you clear of the runway? I do not have you in sight. Say your position.' small transport Y replied, 'I'm at intersection delta, which is off of runway 3L.' medium large transport X was clearing downfield at oscar. Corrective actions: arrival west controller, which was me, was decertified and west local was decertified. East local who's aircraft landed the wrong runway, no action taken. Perceptions, judgement decisions: I, being west arrival, believe I had legal sep (2 mi staggered) and compatible speeds. So I ship the aircraft to tower (medium large transport X). West and east local also have radar in the tower, but took no action to pull either aircraft off the approach when sep decreased. Action or inactions. If either tower controller would have cancelled the approach of either aircraft, there would have not been 2 aircraft on the same runway at the same time. Factors affecting the quality of human performance: nobody expected anything to go wrong, but it did. What I really believe caused the incident was no approach lights on runway 3R, tower controllers not using their radar. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: callback indicated that the small transport apparently saw the approach lights for the left runway and swung over and landed on that runway. Appears that neither local controller saw the aircraft do this due to poor visibility and apparently neither checked their BRITE radar. Reporter was busy with following aircraft and didn't notice the small transport stray off the runway 3R final approach course. East approach controller likewise was busy with other traffic. Aircraft position wasn't determined until east local controller asked his location. Aircraft on final following the small transport to runway 3R was sent around due local not seeing the small transport. Charged with error because he let his aircraft pass the small transport on final.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT LANDED ON WRONG RWY AFTER SPOTTING APCH LIGHTS FOR THE PARALLEL RWY. SEPARATION LOST WHILE AIRBORNE WITH MLG AND AGAIN BY LNDG ON OCCUPIED RWY BEHIND THE MLG.

Narrative: ACFT WERE BEING VECTORED FOR STAGGERED ILS APCHES, MLG X FOR RWY 3L AND SMT Y FOR RWY 3R. MLG X AND SMT Y WERE STAGGERED BY APCH, BUT DUE TO ACFT PERFORMANCE, MLG X AND SMT Y WENT DOWN THE LOCS SIDE BY SIDE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED (THEY ENDED UP SIDE BY SIDE 1 1/2 MI FINAL). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE MAIN FACTOR I BELIEVE IS THERE ARE NO APCH LIGHTS FOR RWY 3R AND HAVEN'T BEEN ANY FOR 6 MONTHS. THE WX WAS IFR. WHEN SMT Y BROKE OUT HE PROBABLY SAW APCH LIGHTS OFF HIS LEFT AND WENT FOR THE RWY. ONE PROB IS THE RWY WAS 3L, AND MLG X WAS ON SHORT FINAL AND SMT Y LANDED RIGHT BEHIND HIM. ACTUAL DISTANCE THEY MISSED BY IS UNKNOWN. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE ARTS SYS AT DTW. THE ARTS KEEP COASTING OFF THEIR TARGETS, SO YOU'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHERE YOUR TARGET IS ALL THE TIME. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. ARWY FACS HAVE SHUT THE RADAR DOWN SEVERAL TIMES, BUT SAY THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROB, SO WE WORK WITH IT AS IS. HOW WAS IT DISCOVERED? IT WAS DISCOVERED BY THE LCL E CTL. THEY ASKED, 'SMT Y, ARE YOU CLR OF THE RWY? I DO NOT HAVE YOU IN SIGHT. SAY YOUR POS.' SMT Y REPLIED, 'I'M AT INTXN DELTA, WHICH IS OFF OF RWY 3L.' MLG X WAS CLRING DOWNFIELD AT OSCAR. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: ARR W CTLR, WHICH WAS ME, WAS DECERTIFIED AND W LCL WAS DECERTIFIED. E LCL WHO'S ACFT LANDED THE WRONG RWY, NO ACTION TAKEN. PERCEPTIONS, JUDGEMENT DECISIONS: I, BEING W ARR, BELIEVE I HAD LEGAL SEP (2 MI STAGGERED) AND COMPATIBLE SPDS. SO I SHIP THE ACFT TO TWR (MLG X). W AND E LCL ALSO HAVE RADAR IN THE TWR, BUT TOOK NO ACTION TO PULL EITHER ACFT OFF THE APCH WHEN SEP DECREASED. ACTION OR INACTIONS. IF EITHER TWR CTLR WOULD HAVE CANCELLED THE APCH OF EITHER ACFT, THERE WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN 2 ACFT ON THE SAME RWY AT THE SAME TIME. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE: NOBODY EXPECTED ANYTHING TO GO WRONG, BUT IT DID. WHAT I REALLY BELIEVE CAUSED THE INCIDENT WAS NO APCH LIGHTS ON RWY 3R, TWR CTLRS NOT USING THEIR RADAR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLBACK INDICATED THAT THE SMT APPARENTLY SAW THE APCH LIGHTS FOR THE LEFT RWY AND SWUNG OVER AND LANDED ON THAT RWY. APPEARS THAT NEITHER LCL CTLR SAW THE ACFT DO THIS DUE TO POOR VIS AND APPARENTLY NEITHER CHKED THEIR BRITE RADAR. RPTR WAS BUSY WITH FOLLOWING ACFT AND DIDN'T NOTICE THE SMT STRAY OFF THE RWY 3R FINAL APCH COURSE. E APCH CTLR LIKEWISE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. ACFT POS WASN'T DETERMINED UNTIL E LCL CTLR ASKED HIS LOCATION. ACFT ON FINAL FOLLOWING THE SMT TO RWY 3R WAS SENT AROUND DUE LCL NOT SEEING THE SMT. CHARGED WITH ERROR BECAUSE HE LET HIS ACFT PASS THE SMT ON FINAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.