<< >> NASA ASRS Report 325990, January 1996

Flight crew of an mdt used the wrong traffic pattern during an approach to an alternate uncontrolled airport.

Attributes
ACN	325990
Time
Date	199601
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sps
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	325990
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Miserable WX, holding for 45 mins plus. Finally made decision to divert. Nearest suitable airport was sps (sheppard AFB). I used to fly here in SF34/left. But have not flown here since transitioning to carrier equipment. So basically I'm unfamiliar with this airport. First officer had never been here. Extremely heavy workload, rushed, bad turbulence. Flew west of airport for holding pattern then cleared for approach. Flew back eastbound, came up over the top, entered standard left traffic pattern for landing runway 15L. Announced position numerous times on CTAF. No other traffic around either in pattern or in general area. Safety of flight never in question. After landing, and after we had time to look at the airport diagram, discussed NOTAM that called for right traffic for runway 15R. Again, extreme workload trying to get this thing down in heavy WX, no tower/approach ATC, simply didn't have luxury of time to learn everything about airport.

Related reports:

• An EMB170 was dispatched to their destination with an altern...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT USED THE WRONG TFC PATTERN DURING AN APCH TO AN ALTERNATE UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: MISERABLE WX, HOLDING FOR 45 MINS PLUS. FINALLY MADE DECISION TO DIVERT. NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WAS SPS (SHEPPARD AFB). I USED TO FLY HERE IN SF34/L. BUT HAVE NOT FLOWN HERE SINCE TRANSITIONING TO CARRIER EQUIP. SO BASICALLY I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT. FO HAD NEVER BEEN HERE. EXTREMELY HVY WORKLOAD, RUSHED, BAD TURB. FLEW W OF ARPT FOR HOLDING PATTERN THEN CLRED FOR APCH. FLEW BACK EBOUND, CAME UP OVER THE TOP, ENTERED STANDARD L TFC PATTERN FOR LNDG RWY 15L. ANNOUNCED POS NUMEROUS TIMES ON CTAF. NO OTHER TFC AROUND EITHER IN PATTERN OR IN GENERAL AREA. SAFETY OF FLT NEVER IN QUESTION. AFTER LNDG, AND AFTER WE HAD TIME TO LOOK AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM, DISCUSSED NOTAM THAT CALLED FOR R TFC FOR RWY 15R. AGAIN, EXTREME WORKLOAD TRYING TO GET THIS THING DOWN IN HVY WX, NO TWR/APCH ATC, SIMPLY DIDN'T HAVE LUXURY OF TIME TO LEARN EVERYTHING ABOUT ARPT.

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.