 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
On an intercept heading for ILS, night VFR, flight crew mistook AFB airport as their destination airport and commenced approach. After noting their localizer moving in the wrong direction, both flight crew realized they were approaching another airport, did a go around, coordinated with approach control and landed uneventfully.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 328574 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199602 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hou |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : hou |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival star : star enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 328574 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 650 |
| ASRS Report | 329054 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While descending into hou (hobby) airport from 6000 ft to 2100 ft, hou approach control instructed me to turn right to a heading of 280 degrees and intercept the runway 30L ILS at hou. While descending and turning, we both saw the runway 30 at ellington AFB and mistook this runway for hou's runway 30L. At this time, I told hou that I had a visual on runway 30L at hou. We were cleared for a visual at hou runway 30L. Realizing that we were high for a safe landing, I asked for a 270 degree left turn. Also, at this time, the localizer moved quickly from left to right. We both realized that this was not runway 30L at hou and we began to execute a missed approach, never descending below 1200 ft MSL. At this time, hou approach informed us that we were lining up with ellington AFB and to climb to 3000 ft and turn left to 270 degree heading. We continued to hou and proceeded to make a safe approach and landing. Looking back over this incident, I think it would have helped if hou approach control had advised us of ellington's runway 36 being all lit up and also, if the runway lights at hou were at 'step 5' which they were not until hou advised us that we were lining up at ellington.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ON AN INTERCEPT HDG FOR ILS, NIGHT VFR, FLC MISTOOK AFB ARPT AS THEIR DEST ARPT AND COMMENCED APCH. AFTER NOTING THEIR LOC MOVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, BOTH FLC REALIZED THEY WERE APCHING ANOTHER ARPT, DID A GAR, COORDINATED WITH APCH CTL AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.
Narrative: WHILE DSNDING INTO HOU (HOBBY) ARPT FROM 6000 FT TO 2100 FT, HOU APCH CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN R TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE RWY 30L ILS AT HOU. WHILE DSNDING AND TURNING, WE BOTH SAW THE RWY 30 AT ELLINGTON AFB AND MISTOOK THIS RWY FOR HOU'S RWY 30L. AT THIS TIME, I TOLD HOU THAT I HAD A VISUAL ON RWY 30L AT HOU. WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL AT HOU RWY 30L. REALIZING THAT WE WERE HIGH FOR A SAFE LNDG, I ASKED FOR A 270 DEG L TURN. ALSO, AT THIS TIME, THE LOC MOVED QUICKLY FROM L TO R. WE BOTH REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT RWY 30L AT HOU AND WE BEGAN TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH, NEVER DSNDING BELOW 1200 FT MSL. AT THIS TIME, HOU APCH INFORMED US THAT WE WERE LINING UP WITH ELLINGTON AFB AND TO CLB TO 3000 FT AND TURN L TO 270 DEG HDG. WE CONTINUED TO HOU AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE A SAFE APCH AND LNDG. LOOKING BACK OVER THIS INCIDENT, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IF HOU APCH CTL HAD ADVISED US OF ELLINGTON'S RWY 36 BEING ALL LIT UP AND ALSO, IF THE RWY LIGHTS AT HOU WERE AT 'STEP 5' WHICH THEY WERE NOT UNTIL HOU ADVISED US THAT WE WERE LINING UP AT ELLINGTON.
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.