Flight crew of light transport accepted visual approach then encountered WX. Requested and made 360 ...

Attributes
ACN	163768
Time
Date	199011
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	163768
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Situation occurred while being vectored to dtw. ATIS was calling visuals to runway 3L/right. While being vectored an overcast layer at 2000' AGL was moving northeast in a line from northwest to southeast. While 10 mi out on downwind we heard company aircraft report field in sight just before OM. ATC turned us toward airport descending through 400' MSL for 3000' MSL and asked us to call airport in sight. Captain (flying) said he had field in sight for visibility. I asked if he could maintain visibility and he said, 'sure.' I had my doubts, but reported visibility contact with airport. We were cleared for visibility and told to contact tower. Captain captured localizer and G/south and followed them. As we contacted tower visibility contact was lost due to overcast. We were cleared to land and continued. I mentioned that our altitude appeared high in relation to DME from field. At 1500' AGL we got field and runway in sight, but were now on a 1 mi final. Captain said to request a 360 degree turn to lose altitude. It was approved, reluctantly, by ATC. We did a 360 degree turn and landed west/O incident. With overcast moving in and aircraft getting field in sight late, ATC should have been vectoring for full ILS, not visuals. Captain should not have called for visibility when he could not reasonably expect to keep field in sight. First officer should have been more insistent on an ILS, or refused to call field in sight. Being high on approach resulted in false G/south signals being received.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LTT ACCEPTED VISUAL APCH THEN ENCOUNTERED WX. REQUESTED AND MADE 360 DEG TURN ON APCH TO REGAIN PROPER GLIDE PATH.

Narrative: SITUATION OCCURRED WHILE BEING VECTORED TO DTW. ATIS WAS CALLING VISUALS TO RWY 3L/R. WHILE BEING VECTORED AN OVCST LAYER AT 2000' AGL WAS MOVING NE IN A LINE FROM NW TO SE. WHILE 10 MI OUT ON DOWNWIND WE HEARD COMPANY ACFT RPT FIELD IN SIGHT JUST BEFORE OM. ATC TURNED US TOWARD ARPT DSNDING THROUGH 400' MSL FOR 3000' MSL AND ASKED US TO CALL ARPT IN SIGHT. CAPT (FLYING) SAID HE HAD FIELD IN SIGHT FOR VIS. I ASKED IF HE COULD MAINTAIN VIS AND HE SAID, 'SURE.' I HAD MY DOUBTS, BUT RPTED VIS CONTACT WITH ARPT. WE WERE CLRED FOR VIS AND TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. CAPT CAPTURED LOC AND G/S AND FOLLOWED THEM. AS WE CONTACTED TWR VIS CONTACT WAS LOST DUE TO OVCST. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND CONTINUED. I MENTIONED THAT OUR ALT APPEARED HIGH IN RELATION TO DME FROM FIELD. AT 1500' AGL WE GOT FIELD AND RWY IN SIGHT, BUT WERE NOW ON A 1 MI FINAL. CAPT SAID TO REQUEST A 360 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT. IT WAS APPROVED, RELUCTANTLY, BY ATC. WE DID A 360 DEG TURN AND LANDED W/O INCIDENT. WITH OVCST MOVING IN AND ACFT GETTING FIELD IN SIGHT LATE, ATC SHOULD HAVE BEEN VECTORING FOR FULL ILS, NOT VISUALS. CAPT SHOULD NOT HAVE CALLED FOR VIS WHEN HE COULD NOT REASONABLY EXPECT TO KEEP FIELD IN SIGHT. F/O SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INSISTENT ON AN ILS, OR REFUSED TO CALL FIELD IN SIGHT. BEING HIGH ON APCH RESULTED IN FALSE G/S SIGNALS BEING RECEIVED.

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.

Flight crew of light transport accepted visual approach then encountered WX. Requested and made 360 degree turn on approach to regain proper glide path.