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PA28 pilot becomes disoriented flying above fog bank and begins approach to wrong airport. He discovers error, as did tower controller at correct airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 344360 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199608 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mry |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2600 msl bound upper : 2600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mry |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 250 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 344360 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During the northern ca power outage, mry class C was not in effect. I called mry tower from santa cruz and was advised to continue and report inbound on the 45 degrees and to make right traffic for runway 28R. Mry was reporting 20000 ft scattered with a fog bank north and west of the field. I was heading in over the fringe of the fog bank at 3000 ft (approximately 1000-1500 ft above it). Upon reaching the town of castroville, I called mry tower and advised them that I did not have the field in sight yet. I also asked them how far from the airport the fog bank was located. Their response was unclr. I continued for another few mins and noticed the approach end of a runway below me with part of the airport under the overcast. Assuming this was mry (and I could only see runway 28L, the bigger of the 2), I reported the 'airport in sight at my 7 O'clock.' mry responded that I was cleared to land runway 28R. As I turned back toward the airport, mry asked me to confirm that I was not headed for sns. I replied by telling them I was just doing a 180 degree to return to the airport (mry). On my initial descent, things didn't look right, and the field didn't look VFR, so I requested the ILS runway 10R. I was given vectors 270 degrees and told to climb and maintain 2500 ft and VFR. After less than 1 min, I noticed mry (the real mry) at my 9-10 O'clock. I asked to cancel IFR and was given back to tower and was cleared to land.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA28 PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED FLYING ABOVE FOG BANK AND BEGINS APCH TO WRONG ARPT. HE DISCOVERS ERROR, AS DID TWR CTLR AT CORRECT ARPT.
Narrative: DURING THE NORTHERN CA PWR OUTAGE, MRY CLASS C WAS NOT IN EFFECT. I CALLED MRY TWR FROM SANTA CRUZ AND WAS ADVISED TO CONTINUE AND RPT INBOUND ON THE 45 DEGS AND TO MAKE R TFC FOR RWY 28R. MRY WAS RPTING 20000 FT SCATTERED WITH A FOG BANK N AND W OF THE FIELD. I WAS HEADING IN OVER THE FRINGE OF THE FOG BANK AT 3000 FT (APPROX 1000-1500 FT ABOVE IT). UPON REACHING THE TOWN OF CASTROVILLE, I CALLED MRY TWR AND ADVISED THEM THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT YET. I ALSO ASKED THEM HOW FAR FROM THE ARPT THE FOG BANK WAS LOCATED. THEIR RESPONSE WAS UNCLR. I CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER FEW MINS AND NOTICED THE APCH END OF A RWY BELOW ME WITH PART OF THE ARPT UNDER THE OVCST. ASSUMING THIS WAS MRY (AND I COULD ONLY SEE RWY 28L, THE BIGGER OF THE 2), I RPTED THE 'ARPT IN SIGHT AT MY 7 O'CLOCK.' MRY RESPONDED THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 28R. AS I TURNED BACK TOWARD THE ARPT, MRY ASKED ME TO CONFIRM THAT I WAS NOT HEADED FOR SNS. I REPLIED BY TELLING THEM I WAS JUST DOING A 180 DEG TO RETURN TO THE ARPT (MRY). ON MY INITIAL DSCNT, THINGS DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT, AND THE FIELD DIDN'T LOOK VFR, SO I REQUESTED THE ILS RWY 10R. I WAS GIVEN VECTORS 270 DEGS AND TOLD TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 2500 FT AND VFR. AFTER LESS THAN 1 MIN, I NOTICED MRY (THE REAL MRY) AT MY 9-10 O'CLOCK. I ASKED TO CANCEL IFR AND WAS GIVEN BACK TO TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND.
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.