<< >> NASA ASRS Report 353260, November 1996

FK28 pilot is given traffic and told to descend maintaining visual on the traffic. Flight crew accepts and then loses sight of the bonanza and a conflict results.

Attributes
ACN	353260
Time
Date	199611
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rdu airport : rdw
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rdw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	F28 Mk 1000
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 4800
ASRS Report	353260
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2000 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While descending into rdu, traffic was issued at 10 O'clock position low. We called traffic in sight and were then issued clearance to descend and maintain visual separation. I was busy trying to get a cockpit light to work as the captain made his descent. Seconds later we got a TA. As I looked up and saw a very fast closure rate I recommended the captain increase his rate of descent. We passed slightly behind and below the small aircraft. While safety was not compromised we were uncomfortably close. I feel the captain had problems judging his closure rate because of all the illumination from the city and the extreme differences in airspeed of the 2 aircraft. In the future I will not accept a visual descent at night under these conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FK28 PLT IS GIVEN TFC AND TOLD TO DSND MAINTAINING VISUAL ON THE TFC. FLC ACCEPTS AND THEN LOSES SIGHT OF THE BONANZA AND A CONFLICT RESULTS.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING INTO RDU, TFC WAS ISSUED AT 10 O'CLOCK POS LOW. WE CALLED TFC IN SIGHT AND WERE THEN ISSUED CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. I WAS BUSY TRYING TO GET A COCKPIT LIGHT TO WORK AS THE CAPT MADE HIS DSCNT. SECONDS LATER WE GOT A TA. AS I LOOKED UP AND SAW A VERY FAST CLOSURE RATE I RECOMMENDED THE CAPT INCREASE HIS RATE OF DSCNT. WE PASSED SLIGHTLY BEHIND AND BELOW THE SMALL ACFT. WHILE SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED WE WERE UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE. I FEEL THE CAPT HAD PROBS JUDGING HIS CLOSURE RATE BECAUSE OF ALL THE ILLUMINATION FROM THE CITY AND THE EXTREME DIFFERENCES IN AIRSPD OF THE 2 ACFT. IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT ACCEPT A VISUAL DSCNT AT NIGHT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.

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.