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An F100 captain reported that , on 2 occasions during visual approach to mdt, the VASI was reversed. With a red over red indication, the captain descended and found that he was red over white.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 474034 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mdt.airport |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mdt.tower tracon : s46.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Fokker 100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival : vfr |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 474034 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airport ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Situations | |
| Airport | lighting : mdt.airport |
Narrative:
On approach on GS to runway 13 at mdt. VASI appeared red over red. I ducked slightly low and VASI changed red over white. This is backwards. I asked tower if they had any problems and they said no. Aircraft on approach behind us said they experienced same thing. Next day, the VASI was notamed as being off the air. On 05/thu/00, during approach to runway 13 at mdt, the same phenomenon occurred. Tower again said VASI and ILS appeared to be working. This could be a very unsafe operation if the ILS crumped or was still set to runway 31 and someone shoots visual to runway 13.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN F100 CAPT REPORTED THAT , ON 2 OCCASIONS DURING VISUAL APCH TO MDT, THE VASI WAS REVERSED. WITH A RED OVER RED INDICATION, THE CAPT DSNDED AND FOUND THAT HE WAS RED OVER WHITE.
Narrative: ON APCH ON GS TO RWY 13 AT MDT. VASI APPEARED RED OVER RED. I DUCKED SLIGHTLY LOW AND VASI CHANGED RED OVER WHITE. THIS IS BACKWARDS. I ASKED TWR IF THEY HAD ANY PROBLEMS AND THEY SAID NO. ACFT ON APCH BEHIND US SAID THEY EXPERIENCED SAME THING. NEXT DAY, THE VASI WAS NOTAMED AS BEING OFF THE AIR. ON 05/THU/00, DURING APCH TO RWY 13 AT MDT, THE SAME PHENOMENON OCCURRED. TWR AGAIN SAID VASI AND ILS APPEARED TO BE WORKING. THIS COULD BE A VERY UNSAFE OP IF THE ILS CRUMPED OR WAS STILL SET TO RWY 31 AND SOMEONE SHOOTS VISUAL TO RWY 13.
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.