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Close proximity commuter light transport air carrier-medium large transport on night circling visual into dtw.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 197731 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199112 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dtw |
| State Reference | MI |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dtw tower : dtw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 197731 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 200 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Night visual approach to dtw. My aircraft cleared to follow medium large transport for visual. At this time medium large transport was 3000 ft higher and 3 mi ahead. He was to make left descending turn back to runway 21C. I observed no strobes or landing lights on medium large transport entire time. What appeared to be a very slow arcing turn and descent to the left was actually a much more rapid turn and descent and appeared to remain so until medium large transport passed 500 ft over my nose. This incident could not have occurred in daylight conditions. The parallax of medium large transport's position lights confused me and made it appear as though he was at least 2 mi from me and passing well in front of my aircraft until I saw the faint outline of his fuselage pass over. I initiated evasive action downward and he pitched up. Had evasive action not have been initiated by either aircraft I am certain they would not have struck but they would have passed closer together by 200 ft from sighting medium large transport to near miss dtw approach was control frequency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CLOSE PROX COMMUTER LTT ACR-MLG ON NIGHT CIRCLING VISUAL INTO DTW.
Narrative: NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO DTW. MY ACFT CLRED TO FOLLOW MLG FOR VISUAL. AT THIS TIME MLG WAS 3000 FT HIGHER AND 3 MI AHEAD. HE WAS TO MAKE L DSNDING TURN BACK TO RWY 21C. I OBSERVED NO STROBES OR LNDG LIGHTS ON MLG ENTIRE TIME. WHAT APPEARED TO BE A VERY SLOW ARCING TURN AND DSCNT TO THE L WAS ACTUALLY A MUCH MORE RAPID TURN AND DSCNT AND APPEARED TO REMAIN SO UNTIL MLG PASSED 500 FT OVER MY NOSE. THIS INCIDENT COULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. THE PARALLAX OF MLG'S POS LIGHTS CONFUSED ME AND MADE IT APPEAR AS THOUGH HE WAS AT LEAST 2 MI FROM ME AND PASSING WELL IN FRONT OF MY ACFT UNTIL I SAW THE FAINT OUTLINE OF HIS FUSELAGE PASS OVER. I INITIATED EVASIVE ACTION DOWNWARD AND HE PITCHED UP. HAD EVASIVE ACTION NOT HAVE BEEN INITIATED BY EITHER ACFT I AM CERTAIN THEY WOULD NOT HAVE STRUCK BUT THEY WOULD HAVE PASSED CLOSER TOGETHER BY 200 FT FROM SIGHTING MLG TO NEAR MISS DTW APCH WAS CTL FREQ.
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.