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B737 lines up to land on taxiway instead of runway when encountering poor visibility due to glare, a 20 KT crosswind and enduring a 7 pt 5 hour flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 458216 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199912 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sea.airport |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sea.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-800 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sea.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | landing : go around |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10000 |
| ASRS Report | 458216 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other non adherence : company policies other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airport Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
On short final to runway 16R at sea, I realized that we were lined up for taxiway C. I executed a sidestep maneuver for runway 16R and landed without incident. No one but myself caught the mistake, (copilot or a B757 captain on jump seat). Also, we were in trail of a B757 who did a go around in front of us. He did not say why or what happened. Windshear had been reported as well as a 20 KT right crosswind. We assume the B757 ahead of us made the same error we did. The reason it occurred was because of the intense glare from the sun where the taxiway C was clearly visible and the other landing surfaces were not able to be seen. The visual picture presented due to a local meteorological condition was very convincing and fooled at least 3 pilots and maybe the B757 pilots in front of us. We were tired, as it was about XA30 body time get up for me and copilot. We were on west coast body time, yet had an early morning departure on the east coast -- 7 1/2 hour flight time for the day. A go around would probably have been an appropriate choice as well as an ILS approach due to the extreme glare encountered. However, a visual approach had been accepted prior to encountering the strange meteorological condition. If runway lights were on bright, it may have made a difference. The tower asked us if that would help because of our maneuver and the fact that the B757 went around.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 LINES UP TO LAND ON TXWY INSTEAD OF RWY WHEN ENCOUNTERING POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO GLARE, A 20 KT XWIND AND ENDURING A 7 PT 5 HR FLT.
Narrative: ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 16R AT SEA, I REALIZED THAT WE WERE LINED UP FOR TXWY C. I EXECUTED A SIDESTEP MANEUVER FOR RWY 16R AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. NO ONE BUT MYSELF CAUGHT THE MISTAKE, (COPLT OR A B757 CAPT ON JUMP SEAT). ALSO, WE WERE IN TRAIL OF A B757 WHO DID A GAR IN FRONT OF US. HE DID NOT SAY WHY OR WHAT HAPPENED. WINDSHEAR HAD BEEN RPTED AS WELL AS A 20 KT R XWIND. WE ASSUME THE B757 AHEAD OF US MADE THE SAME ERROR WE DID. THE REASON IT OCCURRED WAS BECAUSE OF THE INTENSE GLARE FROM THE SUN WHERE THE TXWY C WAS CLRLY VISIBLE AND THE OTHER LNDG SURFACES WERE NOT ABLE TO BE SEEN. THE VISUAL PICTURE PRESENTED DUE TO A LCL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION WAS VERY CONVINCING AND FOOLED AT LEAST 3 PLTS AND MAYBE THE B757 PLTS IN FRONT OF US. WE WERE TIRED, AS IT WAS ABOUT XA30 BODY TIME GET UP FOR ME AND COPLT. WE WERE ON WEST COAST BODY TIME, YET HAD AN EARLY MORNING DEP ON THE EAST COAST -- 7 1/2 HR FLT TIME FOR THE DAY. A GAR WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN AN APPROPRIATE CHOICE AS WELL AS AN ILS APCH DUE TO THE EXTREME GLARE ENCOUNTERED. HOWEVER, A VISUAL APCH HAD BEEN ACCEPTED PRIOR TO ENCOUNTERING THE STRANGE METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION. IF RWY LIGHTS WERE ON BRIGHT, IT MAY HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. THE TWR ASKED US IF THAT WOULD HELP BECAUSE OF OUR MANEUVER AND THE FACT THAT THE B757 WENT AROUND.
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.