 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Air carrier medium large transport on a night visual follows the wrong traffic and has to s-turn to maintain separation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 95088 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198809 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dfw tower : dfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| 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 : 10000 |
| ASRS Report | 95088 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| ASRS Report | 95231 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | unspecified : 11000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Approach pointed out traffic downwind east turning base for runway 17L while we were descending to 6000' MSL approximately 15 mi northeast. Both first officer and captain idented traffic and acknowledged. Approach then cleared us for visual following large transport who was now turning base to final. I pointed my aircraft at large transport tail and proceeded toward runway 17L. Switched to tower who slowed us saying we were following traffic on 6 mi final. Our distance was 10 DME. Next tower told us to s-turn as we were rapidly overtaking traffic and were 60 KTS faster. We then saw another aircraft within 2 mi just to our right. I was sure I had our to follow traffic the whole time. Obviously it was the wrong aircraft. I will never again accept a visual at night west/O the ability to positively identify the aircraft to follow. That probably means the ability to read his company logo!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR MLG ON A NIGHT VISUAL FOLLOWS THE WRONG TRAFFIC AND HAS TO S-TURN TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION.
Narrative: APCH POINTED OUT TFC DOWNWIND E TURNING BASE FOR RWY 17L WHILE WE WERE DSNDING TO 6000' MSL APPROX 15 MI NE. BOTH F/O AND CAPT IDENTED TFC AND ACKNOWLEDGED. APCH THEN CLRED US FOR VISUAL FOLLOWING LGT WHO WAS NOW TURNING BASE TO FINAL. I POINTED MY ACFT AT LGT TAIL AND PROCEEDED TOWARD RWY 17L. SWITCHED TO TWR WHO SLOWED US SAYING WE WERE FOLLOWING TFC ON 6 MI FINAL. OUR DISTANCE WAS 10 DME. NEXT TWR TOLD US TO S-TURN AS WE WERE RAPIDLY OVERTAKING TFC AND WERE 60 KTS FASTER. WE THEN SAW ANOTHER ACFT WITHIN 2 MI JUST TO OUR RIGHT. I WAS SURE I HAD OUR TO FOLLOW TFC THE WHOLE TIME. OBVIOUSLY IT WAS THE WRONG ACFT. I WILL NEVER AGAIN ACCEPT A VISUAL AT NIGHT W/O THE ABILITY TO POSITIVELY IDENT THE ACFT TO FOLLOW. THAT PROBABLY MEANS THE ABILITY TO READ HIS COMPANY LOGO!
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.