Narrative:

My flight was vectored from a high downwind leg to an intended visual approach to runway 26R at phx airport. Traffic was heavy. The approach controller descended me to 8000 ft MSL downwind to a 180 degree heading and 4000 ft MSL about perpendicular with the OM. My turn took us about 7 mi east of the runway when I rolled out on base. I used speed brakes to expedite descent, slowed to 200 KTS. Called for flaps 1 degree. The controller called traffic 3 O'clock, which the first officer spotted down low. We acknowledged traffic in sight. The controller cleared and I accepted a visual approach to runway 26R with a final vector of 230 degrees to final, now descending through 4000 ft MSL. As I turned to 230 degrees to join the approach course, the setting sun flashed through the windshield, blinding my vision for an instant. I was surprised and alarmed. It was like a camera flash shot in the face. My vision blurred for an instant and squinting regained some focus. Sunlight reflected off the flat plate displays making them difficult to read. This happened in a few seconds and orientation was regained in a few more. But, when I readjusted to the situation, TCASII was RA with 'monitor vertical speed,' the airplane was 1 1/2 dots below the GS and the speed brake was still extended. I cleaned up, added thrust, leveled off and regained the safety of the ILS. The approach and landing were uneventful. It seems another unknown traffic (unknown to me) crossed in front of our path and low, a VFR small aircraft, as I lined up on the lateral course. The traffic or TCASII RA triggered just as I lost some visual sense and I was distraction from my confign (speed brake extended), navigation (GS low). The first officer was busy trying to identify the traffic visually. Good visual contact on the runway was regained at 1000 ft AGL. This was a good case for an ILS approach and not a visual. The visual ques were apparent one moment, then gone the next, and further on, regained. Too 'iffy,' too vague. Angle of the sun and time of day and yr contributed. Flat plate displays are very hard to read in direct sun. The time compression on top of sensory loss led to a potential hazardous situation. I wear progressive bifocal eye glasses. I think these may have influenced this event in some way. They are clear lens, not tinted and small scratches on them may have distorted my vision. Anyway, I'm having a complete vision check and optical prescription after this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR, AFTER A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF ORIENTATION WHILE DEALING WITH TCASII ALERT, WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO A SAFE LNDG.

Narrative: MY FLT WAS VECTORED FROM A HIGH DOWNWIND LEG TO AN INTENDED VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26R AT PHX ARPT. TFC WAS HVY. THE APCH CTLR DSNDED ME TO 8000 FT MSL DOWNWIND TO A 180 DEG HDG AND 4000 FT MSL ABOUT PERPENDICULAR WITH THE OM. MY TURN TOOK US ABOUT 7 MI E OF THE RWY WHEN I ROLLED OUT ON BASE. I USED SPD BRAKES TO EXPEDITE DSCNT, SLOWED TO 200 KTS. CALLED FOR FLAPS 1 DEG. THE CTLR CALLED TFC 3 O'CLOCK, WHICH THE FO SPOTTED DOWN LOW. WE ACKNOWLEDGED TFC IN SIGHT. THE CTLR CLRED AND I ACCEPTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26R WITH A FINAL VECTOR OF 230 DEGS TO FINAL, NOW DSNDING THROUGH 4000 FT MSL. AS I TURNED TO 230 DEGS TO JOIN THE APCH COURSE, THE SETTING SUN FLASHED THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, BLINDING MY VISION FOR AN INSTANT. I WAS SURPRISED AND ALARMED. IT WAS LIKE A CAMERA FLASH SHOT IN THE FACE. MY VISION BLURRED FOR AN INSTANT AND SQUINTING REGAINED SOME FOCUS. SUNLIGHT REFLECTED OFF THE FLAT PLATE DISPLAYS MAKING THEM DIFFICULT TO READ. THIS HAPPENED IN A FEW SECONDS AND ORIENTATION WAS REGAINED IN A FEW MORE. BUT, WHEN I READJUSTED TO THE SIT, TCASII WAS RA WITH 'MONITOR VERT SPD,' THE AIRPLANE WAS 1 1/2 DOTS BELOW THE GS AND THE SPD BRAKE WAS STILL EXTENDED. I CLEANED UP, ADDED THRUST, LEVELED OFF AND REGAINED THE SAFETY OF THE ILS. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. IT SEEMS ANOTHER UNKNOWN TFC (UNKNOWN TO ME) CROSSED IN FRONT OF OUR PATH AND LOW, A VFR SMALL ACFT, AS I LINED UP ON THE LATERAL COURSE. THE TFC OR TCASII RA TRIGGERED JUST AS I LOST SOME VISUAL SENSE AND I WAS DISTR FROM MY CONFIGN (SPD BRAKE EXTENDED), NAV (GS LOW). THE FO WAS BUSY TRYING TO IDENT THE TFC VISUALLY. GOOD VISUAL CONTACT ON THE RWY WAS REGAINED AT 1000 FT AGL. THIS WAS A GOOD CASE FOR AN ILS APCH AND NOT A VISUAL. THE VISUAL QUES WERE APPARENT ONE MOMENT, THEN GONE THE NEXT, AND FURTHER ON, REGAINED. TOO 'IFFY,' TOO VAGUE. ANGLE OF THE SUN AND TIME OF DAY AND YR CONTRIBUTED. FLAT PLATE DISPLAYS ARE VERY HARD TO READ IN DIRECT SUN. THE TIME COMPRESSION ON TOP OF SENSORY LOSS LED TO A POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS SIT. I WEAR PROGRESSIVE BIFOCAL EYE GLASSES. I THINK THESE MAY HAVE INFLUENCED THIS EVENT IN SOME WAY. THEY ARE CLR LENS, NOT TINTED AND SMALL SCRATCHES ON THEM MAY HAVE DISTORTED MY VISION. ANYWAY, I'M HAVING A COMPLETE VISION CHK AND OPTICAL PRESCRIPTION AFTER THIS.

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.