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While on a visual to a non IAP runway PIC becomes too absorbed with traffic watch and starts approach to wrong runway. Creates a potential conflict situation for traffic following his large transport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 125761 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198910 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dfw artcc : zjx |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival star : star enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 125761 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 125765 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
While conducting a visual approach to runway 36R at dfw we overshot the turn from a dogleg base to final. The captain was flying and on the boids arrival we were told to expect 36L. After passing arina we were given 6000' as we turned to a 170 degree heading. Abeam the TDZ of 36L we were cleared to 3000' (expedite) and told to expect 36R. Approximately 7 NM beyond the TDZ we were turned to 130 degree heading. While this was happening, I entered runway 36R on the FMS to give us an extended centerline (there is no ILS to 36R). We were then cleared for a visual behind an medium large transport that we both identified and agreed on. To me, the medium large transport appeared to be on a dogleg from the east and at that time, approximately over the extended centerline of 35L. Apparently the position of the medium large transport led the captain to think '35' and he continued on the 130 degree heading. We both lost the medium large transport for a moment and we were then approaching the centerline of 36R. As we approached the centerline of 36R, I noted that the captain was not starting a turn. I motioned towards the runway. He asked me about the runway and I verbalized that we were cleared for 36R. As the captain started turning towards the correct runway, I noticed another jet on final for 35 behind us and overtaking. I asked the captain to tighten his turn, which he did. We completed the approach and landing on 36R normally. Supplemental information from acn 125765: at that time I had completely gone 'outside' and did not monitor my HSI. I saw the traffic and I saw the runway that it appeared he was lined up with and I fixated on 35R instead of 36R. I mentally had set myself up to make an approach to the wrong runway, ie, 35R. The big mistake was mine but there are some improvements that could be made. 36R doesn't have a published approach to it. Why? At dfw frequent runway changes are the norm. In the past I've been given as many as 3 different apches to set up for while being vectored around in the pattern at dfw. You end up reprogramming the computer and rebriefing the approach multiple times. Another common practice at dfw is the 'slam dunk'. That is, they keep you high north downwind and dump you in if there's a slot on the final. Because of its clean nature of the large transport it's hard to get down quickly. So when doing a 'slam dunk' you have to pay a lot of attention to flying the airplane, which leaves less room for situational awareness.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WHILE ON A VISUAL TO A NON IAP RWY PIC BECOMES TOO ABSORBED WITH TRAFFIC WATCH AND STARTS APCH TO WRONG RWY. CREATES A POTENTIAL CONFLICT SITUATION FOR TRAFFIC FOLLOWING HIS LGT.
Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 36R AT DFW WE OVERSHOT THE TURN FROM A DOGLEG BASE TO FINAL. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND ON THE BOIDS ARR WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT 36L. AFTER PASSING ARINA WE WERE GIVEN 6000' AS WE TURNED TO A 170 DEG HDG. ABEAM THE TDZ OF 36L WE WERE CLRED TO 3000' (EXPEDITE) AND TOLD TO EXPECT 36R. APPROX 7 NM BEYOND THE TDZ WE WERE TURNED TO 130 DEG HDG. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING, I ENTERED RWY 36R ON THE FMS TO GIVE US AN EXTENDED CENTERLINE (THERE IS NO ILS TO 36R). WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL BEHIND AN MLG THAT WE BOTH IDENTIFIED AND AGREED ON. TO ME, THE MLG APPEARED TO BE ON A DOGLEG FROM THE E AND AT THAT TIME, APPROX OVER THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF 35L. APPARENTLY THE POSITION OF THE MLG LED THE CAPT TO THINK '35' AND HE CONTINUED ON THE 130 DEG HDG. WE BOTH LOST THE MLG FOR A MOMENT AND WE WERE THEN APCHING THE CENTERLINE OF 36R. AS WE APCHED THE CENTERLINE OF 36R, I NOTED THAT THE CAPT WAS NOT STARTING A TURN. I MOTIONED TOWARDS THE RWY. HE ASKED ME ABOUT THE RWY AND I VERBALIZED THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR 36R. AS THE CAPT STARTED TURNING TOWARDS THE CORRECT RWY, I NOTICED ANOTHER JET ON FINAL FOR 35 BEHIND US AND OVERTAKING. I ASKED THE CAPT TO TIGHTEN HIS TURN, WHICH HE DID. WE COMPLETED THE APCH AND LNDG ON 36R NORMALLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 125765: AT THAT TIME I HAD COMPLETELY GONE 'OUTSIDE' AND DID NOT MONITOR MY HSI. I SAW THE TFC AND I SAW THE RWY THAT IT APPEARED HE WAS LINED UP WITH AND I FIXATED ON 35R INSTEAD OF 36R. I MENTALLY HAD SET MYSELF UP TO MAKE AN APCH TO THE WRONG RWY, IE, 35R. THE BIG MISTAKE WAS MINE BUT THERE ARE SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE. 36R DOESN'T HAVE A PUBLISHED APCH TO IT. WHY? AT DFW FREQUENT RWY CHANGES ARE THE NORM. IN THE PAST I'VE BEEN GIVEN AS MANY AS 3 DIFFERENT APCHES TO SET UP FOR WHILE BEING VECTORED AROUND IN THE PATTERN AT DFW. YOU END UP REPROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER AND REBRIEFING THE APCH MULTIPLE TIMES. ANOTHER COMMON PRACTICE AT DFW IS THE 'SLAM DUNK'. THAT IS, THEY KEEP YOU HIGH N DOWNWIND AND DUMP YOU IN IF THERE'S A SLOT ON THE FINAL. BECAUSE OF ITS CLEAN NATURE OF THE LGT IT'S HARD TO GET DOWN QUICKLY. SO WHEN DOING A 'SLAM DUNK' YOU HAVE TO PAY A LOT OF ATTN TO FLYING THE AIRPLANE, WHICH LEAVES LESS ROOM FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
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.