First officer of a BA32, jetstream may mistakenly have made a left 360 degree turn instead of a right turn to a heading of 360 degrees! ATC did not complain about the error, if there was one.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	361279
Time
Date	199702
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : stl tracon : phx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 32
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 290
ASRS Report	361279
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

It was my third night of all night duty. Since I don't usually fly late at night, I was very tired by the third night. I didn't get much sleep during the day during my rest. We were being vectored for the approach. I was flying and the captain was working the radios and doing PNF duties. The controller said something to us. The captain missed the call but I thought the controller said make a left 360 degree turn. I responded to the controller and started a left 360 degree turn. I shouldn't have responded because the captain never heard the instruction, he only assumed I heard the instruction clearly. I should have let him ask for the ATC instruction again so we would have both been sure of the ATC clearance. We made the 360 degree turn and the controller never told us we did anything wrong. I just am not sure we did the right thing because usually about the time we did the 360 degrees, ATC gives us a right turn to a heading to 360 degrees. I was so tired I could have easily misunderstood the clearance and turned the wrong way.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF A BA32, JETSTREAM MAY MISTAKENLY HAVE MADE A L 360 DEG TURN INSTEAD OF A R TURN TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS! ATC DID NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ERROR, IF THERE WAS ONE.

Narrative: IT WAS MY THIRD NIGHT OF ALL NIGHT DUTY. SINCE I DON'T USUALLY FLY LATE AT NIGHT, I WAS VERY TIRED BY THE THIRD NIGHT. I DIDN'T GET MUCH SLEEP DURING THE DAY DURING MY REST. WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE APCH. I WAS FLYING AND THE CAPT WAS WORKING THE RADIOS AND DOING PNF DUTIES. THE CTLR SAID SOMETHING TO US. THE CAPT MISSED THE CALL BUT I THOUGHT THE CTLR SAID MAKE A L 360 DEG TURN. I RESPONDED TO THE CTLR AND STARTED A L 360 DEG TURN. I SHOULDN'T HAVE RESPONDED BECAUSE THE CAPT NEVER HEARD THE INSTRUCTION, HE ONLY ASSUMED I HEARD THE INSTRUCTION CLRLY. I SHOULD HAVE LET HIM ASK FOR THE ATC INSTRUCTION AGAIN SO WE WOULD HAVE BOTH BEEN SURE OF THE ATC CLRNC. WE MADE THE 360 DEG TURN AND THE CTLR NEVER TOLD US WE DID ANYTHING WRONG. I JUST AM NOT SURE WE DID THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE USUALLY ABOUT THE TIME WE DID THE 360 DEGS, ATC GIVES US A R TURN TO A HDG TO 360 DEGS. I WAS SO TIRED I COULD HAVE EASILY MISUNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC AND TURNED THE WRONG WAY.

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.