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A reporter regrets not having declared an emergency.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 278448 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199407 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bfi |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bfi tracon : las |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1400 |
| ASRS Report | 278448 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 5400 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was being vectored for sea, instead of bfi. I pointed this out to the controller. I broke out of the clouds canceled IFR and called bfi tower and was cleared to land. I slowed the airplane and configured to land, when I noticed the left green light was out. I told the tower I was going around. Tower said fly right traffic. Turning base to final, ATC shows 1 tick on radar, that we were in the class B by 100 ft. They showed my altitude mode C at 1200 ft. I don't remember flying above 1100 ft, and my intent was to remain between 800 ft and 1100 ft while trouble-shooting. I later got all 3 green after manipulating bulbs, and dropping the gear a second time, and after taxiing in, shutting down noticed the left light was out again. I was later told that an air carrier md-80 filed a near miss report. Radar showed me 300 ft below and 9/10 of a mi away. I don't remember seeing above 1100 ft. I don't know if the 100 ft discrepancy is mode C error, or if possibly the aircraft bobbled up and down while I was trouble-shooting, or what. This airspace is very crowded. The approach to sea flies right over bfi so in any case, with right traffic I would have to maneuver close and below jet traffic. Had I declared an emergency rather than waiting to confirm the cause of the problem, I would have been exempt from any violation. Had I requested a visual rather than canceling IFR, I also would have been exempt. Had I had some restrs for right traffic or even left traffic there would have been no problem. I feel getting wrong instructions in the clouds, short approach and equipment problems, and very limited airspace, low ceiling and congested area all complicated dealing with a simple potential emergency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A RPTR REGRETS NOT HAVING DECLARED AN EMER.
Narrative: I WAS BEING VECTORED FOR SEA, INSTEAD OF BFI. I POINTED THIS OUT TO THE CTLR. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS CANCELED IFR AND CALLED BFI TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I SLOWED THE AIRPLANE AND CONFIGURED TO LAND, WHEN I NOTICED THE L GREEN LIGHT WAS OUT. I TOLD THE TWR I WAS GOING AROUND. TWR SAID FLY R TFC. TURNING BASE TO FINAL, ATC SHOWS 1 TICK ON RADAR, THAT WE WERE IN THE CLASS B BY 100 FT. THEY SHOWED MY ALT MODE C AT 1200 FT. I DON'T REMEMBER FLYING ABOVE 1100 FT, AND MY INTENT WAS TO REMAIN BTWN 800 FT AND 1100 FT WHILE TROUBLE-SHOOTING. I LATER GOT ALL 3 GREEN AFTER MANIPULATING BULBS, AND DROPPING THE GEAR A SECOND TIME, AND AFTER TAXIING IN, SHUTTING DOWN NOTICED THE L LIGHT WAS OUT AGAIN. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT AN ACR MD-80 FILED A NEAR MISS RPT. RADAR SHOWED ME 300 FT BELOW AND 9/10 OF A MI AWAY. I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING ABOVE 1100 FT. I DON'T KNOW IF THE 100 FT DISCREPANCY IS MODE C ERROR, OR IF POSSIBLY THE ACFT BOBBLED UP AND DOWN WHILE I WAS TROUBLE-SHOOTING, OR WHAT. THIS AIRSPACE IS VERY CROWDED. THE APCH TO SEA FLIES RIGHT OVER BFI SO IN ANY CASE, WITH R TFC I WOULD HAVE TO MANEUVER CLOSE AND BELOW JET TFC. HAD I DECLARED AN EMER RATHER THAN WAITING TO CONFIRM THE CAUSE OF THE PROB, I WOULD HAVE BEEN EXEMPT FROM ANY VIOLATION. HAD I REQUESTED A VISUAL RATHER THAN CANCELING IFR, I ALSO WOULD HAVE BEEN EXEMPT. HAD I HAD SOME RESTRS FOR R TFC OR EVEN L TFC THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROB. I FEEL GETTING WRONG INSTRUCTIONS IN THE CLOUDS, SHORT APCH AND EQUIP PROBS, AND VERY LIMITED AIRSPACE, LOW CEILING AND CONGESTED AREA ALL COMPLICATED DEALING WITH A SIMPLE POTENTIAL EMER.
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.