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An small aircraft pilot gets disoriented when getting a vector to geu. The ADF said go west and the LORAN said go east. Pilot could not discern the airport from the surrounding terrain.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 417827 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199810 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : geu |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : phx tower : geu |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 417827 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence other other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
After uneventful VFR en route flight, I picked up an IFR clearance approaching phx, which had rainshowers in the vicinity. After being vectored off course to accommodate a low on fuel aircraft, phx approach vectored me nwbound towards geu. I was not familiar with the geu airport or surrounding area. I had the ADF pointing to their NDB and the LORAN set up for the airport -- seeing the general environment that I was looking for for the glendale airport, when approach advised the field was at 11:30 position, that confirmed my visual and NAVAID indications. Approach turned me over to tower. After several mins, I failed to see the runway. Continued southwest, flight would take me into either luf of gyr airspace, so I circled back to the nne and told geu tower I did not see the field. The ADF was pointing west to the field and the LORAN was pointing east to the field. Geu had luf get a radar fix and advised my relative position from the field. I flew towards the field and finally saw an aircraft landing. The runway material is exactly the same color as the surrounding terrain -- no contact. On the ground the LORAN said geu was 6.5 NM at 127 degrees. I know that the glendale airport was moved a number of yrs ago, but my LORAN database is supposed to be relatively correct. Geu, a VFR airport in a high density area, surrounded by other traffic patterns with no approachs and a runway that has no contact visually -- with misinfo on the database -- is a setup for the transient pilot to fall into.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN SMA PLT GETS DISORIENTED WHEN GETTING A VECTOR TO GEU. THE ADF SAID GO W AND THE LORAN SAID GO E. PLT COULD NOT DISCERN THE ARPT FROM THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN.
Narrative: AFTER UNEVENTFUL VFR ENRTE FLT, I PICKED UP AN IFR CLRNC APCHING PHX, WHICH HAD RAINSHOWERS IN THE VICINITY. AFTER BEING VECTORED OFF COURSE TO ACCOMMODATE A LOW ON FUEL ACFT, PHX APCH VECTORED ME NWBOUND TOWARDS GEU. I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE GEU ARPT OR SURROUNDING AREA. I HAD THE ADF POINTING TO THEIR NDB AND THE LORAN SET UP FOR THE ARPT -- SEEING THE GENERAL ENVIRONMENT THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR FOR THE GLENDALE ARPT, WHEN APCH ADVISED THE FIELD WAS AT 11:30 POS, THAT CONFIRMED MY VISUAL AND NAVAID INDICATIONS. APCH TURNED ME OVER TO TWR. AFTER SEVERAL MINS, I FAILED TO SEE THE RWY. CONTINUED SW, FLT WOULD TAKE ME INTO EITHER LUF OF GYR AIRSPACE, SO I CIRCLED BACK TO THE NNE AND TOLD GEU TWR I DID NOT SEE THE FIELD. THE ADF WAS POINTING W TO THE FIELD AND THE LORAN WAS POINTING E TO THE FIELD. GEU HAD LUF GET A RADAR FIX AND ADVISED MY RELATIVE POS FROM THE FIELD. I FLEW TOWARDS THE FIELD AND FINALLY SAW AN ACFT LNDG. THE RWY MATERIAL IS EXACTLY THE SAME COLOR AS THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN -- NO CONTACT. ON THE GND THE LORAN SAID GEU WAS 6.5 NM AT 127 DEGS. I KNOW THAT THE GLENDALE ARPT WAS MOVED A NUMBER OF YRS AGO, BUT MY LORAN DATABASE IS SUPPOSED TO BE RELATIVELY CORRECT. GEU, A VFR ARPT IN A HIGH DENSITY AREA, SURROUNDED BY OTHER TFC PATTERNS WITH NO APCHS AND A RWY THAT HAS NO CONTACT VISUALLY -- WITH MISINFO ON THE DATABASE -- IS A SETUP FOR THE TRANSIENT PLT TO FALL INTO.
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.