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The air carrier flight crew on a BA32 lost sight of their preceding traffic during a night visual approach and the controller sent them around. The flight crew blames fatigue and backgnd lights.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 386620 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199711 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : stl |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : stl tower : stl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Jetstream 32 |
| 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 | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4100 flight time type : 320 |
| ASRS Report | 386620 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On visual approach to stl runway 12R maintaining visual with preceding traffic and lateral traffic to runway 12L, south tower changed approach clearance to runway 12L without asking if we could follow preceding aircraft. On visual to runway 12L, north tower asked if we could accept runway 13. We declined due to crosswind, lack of GS guidance, night crew fatigue, runway length, and width. Tower then asked if we could follow/see the company aircraft 3 1/2 mi ahead. At this time, we had lost that traffic (formerly in sight as lateral traffic) in ground clutter/city lights. Tower had us go around at that time. No known conflicts occurred or existed (to flight crew). Human factors contributing were crew on 8 hour scheduled reduced rest overnight, followed by XA45 wake-up, 7 legs terminating with a 3 hour round trip ending at night (7 1/2 hours flying total). This also contributed to crew flying wrong heading (330 degrees) instead of 360 degrees on departure from fsm when cleared on course direct sgf VOR when not receiving. These are 2 events directly related to lack of crew rest and unreasonable schedules.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE ACR FLC ON A BA32 LOST SIGHT OF THEIR PRECEDING TFC DURING A NIGHT VISUAL APCH AND THE CTLR SENT THEM AROUND. THE FLC BLAMES FATIGUE AND BACKGND LIGHTS.
Narrative: ON VISUAL APCH TO STL RWY 12R MAINTAINING VISUAL WITH PRECEDING TFC AND LATERAL TFC TO RWY 12L, S TWR CHANGED APCH CLRNC TO RWY 12L WITHOUT ASKING IF WE COULD FOLLOW PRECEDING ACFT. ON VISUAL TO RWY 12L, N TWR ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT RWY 13. WE DECLINED DUE TO XWIND, LACK OF GS GUIDANCE, NIGHT CREW FATIGUE, RWY LENGTH, AND WIDTH. TWR THEN ASKED IF WE COULD FOLLOW/SEE THE COMPANY ACFT 3 1/2 MI AHEAD. AT THIS TIME, WE HAD LOST THAT TFC (FORMERLY IN SIGHT AS LATERAL TFC) IN GND CLUTTER/CITY LIGHTS. TWR HAD US GAR AT THAT TIME. NO KNOWN CONFLICTS OCCURRED OR EXISTED (TO FLC). HUMAN FACTORS CONTRIBUTING WERE CREW ON 8 HR SCHEDULED REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT, FOLLOWED BY XA45 WAKE-UP, 7 LEGS TERMINATING WITH A 3 HR ROUND TRIP ENDING AT NIGHT (7 1/2 HRS FLYING TOTAL). THIS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO CREW FLYING WRONG HDG (330 DEGS) INSTEAD OF 360 DEGS ON DEP FROM FSM WHEN CLRED ON COURSE DIRECT SGF VOR WHEN NOT RECEIVING. THESE ARE 2 EVENTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO LACK OF CREW REST AND UNREASONABLE SCHEDULES.
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.