 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Crp light transport flight crew demonstration flying the aircraft inadvertently penetrates the stl TCA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 177811 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199105 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : stl airport : cps |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : stl |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 177811 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 24000 flight time type : 7500 |
| ASRS Report | 177878 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The light transport we came to fly hadn't been flown in some time, so we decided to take it on a local VFR test flight before taking our company's ceo on the demonstration ride. The WX was 2000-3000' scattered to broken with at least 8 mi visibility. After departure, the captain made a turn to the southeast. We began to notice a vibration and buffeting noise and suspected it might be an outflow valve oscillating. We then climbed to 12000' to see if the pressurization was working properly. We realized we were operating in the vicinity of the stl TCA and kept constant vigilance for other traffic. Unable to determine the cause of the vibration and noise, a left turn and descent toward cps was initiated. The captain instructed me to contact stl approach to establish clearance back into cps's air traffic area. Approach assigned a code and advised us to remain clear of the TCA. At this point we were descending through 7500' over the cps airport. Approach called us at 5500' and advised us that we had previously entered the TCA west/O clearance. They then handed us off to cps tower and we landed. While taxiing in we were instructed to phone stl by phone about the airspace incursion. My chief pilot and I are professional pilots and realize we should have been more sure about the exact dimensions of the stl TCA. I think we were preoccupied with determining what was causing the vibration and noise in the aircraft. In the future, if I'm flying in an unfamiliar area, I will request radar service to ensure that I don't invade any neighboring airspace west/O clearance. Supplemental information from acn 177878: in my mind I was associating the altitude in the area with nashville where the top of the altitude above the airport is 4600'. Nashville is the airport that we operate out of. This is why I continued to descend above the space over cps. I was focused on the idea that I was still above the TCA. The problem with the aircraft turned out to be that the fairing seal where the wing was connected to the fuselage was loose. The airflow caused a buffeting.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CRP LTT FLT CREW DEMO FLYING THE ACFT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATES THE STL TCA.
Narrative: THE LTT WE CAME TO FLY HADN'T BEEN FLOWN IN SOME TIME, SO WE DECIDED TO TAKE IT ON A LCL VFR TEST FLT BEFORE TAKING OUR COMPANY'S CEO ON THE DEMO RIDE. THE WX WAS 2000-3000' SCATTERED TO BROKEN WITH AT LEAST 8 MI VISIBILITY. AFTER DEP, THE CAPT MADE A TURN TO THE SE. WE BEGAN TO NOTICE A VIBRATION AND BUFFETING NOISE AND SUSPECTED IT MIGHT BE AN OUTFLOW VALVE OSCILLATING. WE THEN CLBED TO 12000' TO SEE IF THE PRESSURIZATION WAS WORKING PROPERLY. WE REALIZED WE WERE OPERATING IN THE VICINITY OF THE STL TCA AND KEPT CONSTANT VIGILANCE FOR OTHER TFC. UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION AND NOISE, A LEFT TURN AND DSNT TOWARD CPS WAS INITIATED. THE CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT STL APCH TO ESTABLISH CLRNC BACK INTO CPS'S ATA. APCH ASSIGNED A CODE AND ADVISED US TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA. AT THIS POINT WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 7500' OVER THE CPS ARPT. APCH CALLED US AT 5500' AND ADVISED US THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY ENTERED THE TCA W/O CLRNC. THEY THEN HANDED US OFF TO CPS TWR AND WE LANDED. WHILE TAXIING IN WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO PHONE STL BY PHONE ABOUT THE AIRSPACE INCURSION. MY CHIEF PLT AND I ARE PROFESSIONAL PLTS AND REALIZE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SURE ABOUT THE EXACT DIMENSIONS OF THE STL TCA. I THINK WE WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH DETERMINING WHAT WAS CAUSING THE VIBRATION AND NOISE IN THE ACFT. IN THE FUTURE, IF I'M FLYING IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA, I WILL REQUEST RADAR SVC TO ENSURE THAT I DON'T INVADE ANY NEIGHBORING AIRSPACE W/O CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 177878: IN MY MIND I WAS ASSOCIATING THE ALT IN THE AREA WITH NASHVILLE WHERE THE TOP OF THE ALT ABOVE THE ARPT IS 4600'. NASHVILLE IS THE ARPT THAT WE OPERATE OUT OF. THIS IS WHY I CONTINUED TO DSND ABOVE THE SPACE OVER CPS. I WAS FOCUSED ON THE IDEA THAT I WAS STILL ABOVE THE TCA. THE PROB WITH THE ACFT TURNED OUT TO BE THAT THE FAIRING SEAL WHERE THE WING WAS CONNECTED TO THE FUSELAGE WAS LOOSE. THE AIRFLOW CAUSED A BUFFETING.
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.