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First officer of a DC9 questions the legal status of making visual approach to an airport where towers seem to be as high as their altitude on base leg. The highest tower is 508 ft above the ground and he indicates their altitude was 1130 ft above the airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 420940 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199811 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : btr |
| State Reference | LA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 1200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 420940 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Captain's leg. Cleared for a visual approach runway 13. The captain had the airport in sight, I did not. On a 7 mi left base we passed a radio tower that was about at our altitude laterally, it was only about 2000 ft. ATC never said anything about it. I realize that ATC is not required to warn aircraft of ground obstacles, but in some instances maybe they should, ie, when on a nonstandardized approach (visual contact) and there are known obstacles that are within 40 degrees of the extended runway centerline.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF A DC9 QUESTIONS THE LEGAL STATUS OF MAKING VISUAL APCH TO AN ARPT WHERE TWRS SEEM TO BE AS HIGH AS THEIR ALT ON BASE LEG. THE HIGHEST TWR IS 508 FT ABOVE THE GND AND HE INDICATES THEIR ALT WAS 1130 FT ABOVE THE ARPT.
Narrative: CAPT'S LEG. CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH RWY 13. THE CAPT HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, I DID NOT. ON A 7 MI L BASE WE PASSED A RADIO TWR THAT WAS ABOUT AT OUR ALT LATERALLY, IT WAS ONLY ABOUT 2000 FT. ATC NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I REALIZE THAT ATC IS NOT REQUIRED TO WARN ACFT OF GND OBSTACLES, BUT IN SOME INSTANCES MAYBE THEY SHOULD, IE, WHEN ON A NONSTANDARDIZED APCH (VISUAL CONTACT) AND THERE ARE KNOWN OBSTACLES THAT ARE WITHIN 40 DEGS OF THE EXTENDED RWY CTRLINE.
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.