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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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ATCT local controller says that an air carrier B727 made a go around on runway 5L without stating the reason and that the previous landing B727 appeared to be clear of the runway. Reporter states the tower is too short to clearly see the new runways and that lights from an air carrier maintenance and a postal complex obscure the controller's visibility at night.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 374121 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ind |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : ind artcc : mem |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 23 |
| ASRS Report | 374121 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Working local and ground combined. Air carrier X a B727 initiated a go around on runway 5L. Preceding air carrier Y aircraft, a B722, had appeared to me to be clear of the runway. Crew of air carrier X did not advise why they went around. When the control tower at ind was constructed 25 yrs ago, the primary runway was only 4000 ft west of the tower. New runways are 2-3 mi away. The distance from the tower to runway 5L is almost 3 NM away. The tower elevation is only 123 ft. With the lights from the air carrier complex and the postal complex at night, it is almost impossible to observe landing aircraft on the runway or determine if they are clear. Tower is 25 yrs old and too short for the new parallel runways. Too many lights from buildings. Not safe.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATCT LCL CTLR SAYS THAT AN ACR B727 MADE A GAR ON RWY 5L WITHOUT STATING THE REASON AND THAT THE PREVIOUS LNDG B727 APPEARED TO BE CLR OF THE RWY. RPTR STATES THE TWR IS TOO SHORT TO CLRLY SEE THE NEW RWYS AND THAT LIGHTS FROM AN ACR MAINT AND A POSTAL COMPLEX OBSCURE THE CTLR'S VISIBILITY AT NIGHT.
Narrative: WORKING LCL AND GND COMBINED. ACR X A B727 INITIATED A GAR ON RWY 5L. PRECEDING ACR Y ACFT, A B722, HAD APPEARED TO ME TO BE CLR OF THE RWY. CREW OF ACR X DID NOT ADVISE WHY THEY WENT AROUND. WHEN THE CTL TWR AT IND WAS CONSTRUCTED 25 YRS AGO, THE PRIMARY RWY WAS ONLY 4000 FT W OF THE TWR. NEW RWYS ARE 2-3 MI AWAY. THE DISTANCE FROM THE TWR TO RWY 5L IS ALMOST 3 NM AWAY. THE TWR ELEVATION IS ONLY 123 FT. WITH THE LIGHTS FROM THE ACR COMPLEX AND THE POSTAL COMPLEX AT NIGHT, IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO OBSERVE LNDG ACFT ON THE RWY OR DETERMINE IF THEY ARE CLR. TWR IS 25 YRS OLD AND TOO SHORT FOR THE NEW PARALLEL RWYS. TOO MANY LIGHTS FROM BUILDINGS. NOT SAFE.
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.