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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Pilot of an small aircraft sel declared an emergency and diverted to land at a nearby military base because of extreme turbulence over and approaching to land at the original destination uncontrolled airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 356475 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199612 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : nid airport : iyk |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : nid |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 670 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 356475 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Approach to landing at iyk after uneventful flight from phoenix, az. En route conditions encountered were normal, with strong headwinds and light to occasionally moderate turbulence. Conditions persisted to within approximately 3 mi of iyk, at which time extreme turbulence was encountered. Broke off approach and returned to smoother air to the east about 4 to 5 mi. Tried approach again, this time from northeast. Severe turbulence again encountered, this time approximately 1 mi out from landing (runway 20). Broke off approach again, declared emergency, and was cleared to land at nid (navy, china lake). Landing was smooth and uneventful. Points of interest: en route/destination WX was checked en route. No reports at iyk were available. From conversations after-the-fact with ground personnel at iyk, severe wind conditions had begun just prior to our approach. En route, we monitored a commuter airliner, also on same departure/approach frequency, report departing iyk. No adverse conditions were mentioned. Winds at nid upon landing were approximately 20-25 KTS and were 90 degrees different than those at iyk. We had significantly more than legal required fuel reserves on board. However, due to great distances between alternate landing sites, strong headwinds en route, and unknown (unrpted) conditions at the airports, it was my assessment that nid was the safest alternative.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND AT A NEARBY MIL BASE BECAUSE OF EXTREME TURB OVER AND APCHING TO LAND AT THE ORIGINAL DEST UNCTLED ARPT.
Narrative: APCH TO LNDG AT IYK AFTER UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM PHOENIX, AZ. ENRTE CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED WERE NORMAL, WITH STRONG HEADWINDS AND LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE TURB. CONDITIONS PERSISTED TO WITHIN APPROX 3 MI OF IYK, AT WHICH TIME EXTREME TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED. BROKE OFF APCH AND RETURNED TO SMOOTHER AIR TO THE E ABOUT 4 TO 5 MI. TRIED APCH AGAIN, THIS TIME FROM NE. SEVERE TURB AGAIN ENCOUNTERED, THIS TIME APPROX 1 MI OUT FROM LNDG (RWY 20). BROKE OFF APCH AGAIN, DECLARED EMER, AND WAS CLRED TO LAND AT NID (NAVY, CHINA LAKE). LNDG WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL. POINTS OF INTEREST: ENRTE/DEST WX WAS CHKED ENRTE. NO RPTS AT IYK WERE AVAILABLE. FROM CONVERSATIONS AFTER-THE-FACT WITH GND PERSONNEL AT IYK, SEVERE WIND CONDITIONS HAD BEGUN JUST PRIOR TO OUR APCH. ENRTE, WE MONITORED A COMMUTER AIRLINER, ALSO ON SAME DEP/APCH FREQ, RPT DEPARTING IYK. NO ADVERSE CONDITIONS WERE MENTIONED. WINDS AT NID UPON LNDG WERE APPROX 20-25 KTS AND WERE 90 DEGS DIFFERENT THAN THOSE AT IYK. WE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN LEGAL REQUIRED FUEL RESERVES ON BOARD. HOWEVER, DUE TO GREAT DISTANCES BTWN ALTERNATE LNDG SITES, STRONG HEADWINDS ENRTE, AND UNKNOWN (UNRPTED) CONDITIONS AT THE ARPTS, IT WAS MY ASSESSMENT THAT NID WAS THE SAFEST ALTERNATIVE.
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.