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B737-300 crew was cleared for charted visual approach to runway 16L at sea without having conflicting aircraft in sight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 534344 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200112 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sea.airport |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : s46.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : s46.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 110 |
| ASRS Report | 534344 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 16500 flight time type : 1310 |
| ASRS Report | 533857 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 30000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance FAA |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Approach control gave our aircraft radar vectors in visual conditions. ATIS information called for bay visual (aircraft arriving from west) or husky visual (arrs from east). The controller did not give us any visual approach procedure as we neared alignment for runway 16R from the west. Nearly right over the final approach course, approach control asked if we had the aircraft Y in sight that was being vectored from the east for runway 16L on the husky visual. We could not confirm the traffic, and almost immediately we were cleared for the husky visual approach. The clearance occurred just before we were about to cross the final approach course at a 60 degree angle from the wrong side for the clearance given/issued. The conflict occurred shortly afterwards with an RA. The captain was able to comply with the RA without abrupt maneuvering. Because of the timing of the RA and the need to try to reorient ourselves with the confusing clearance at the worst possible time, we never were able to see the traffic. The whole ordeal would have been easily avoided had we been simply cleared for a visual approach to runway 16R. Supplemental information from acn 533857: we were on the jawbn 7 arrival into sea, after alkia on vectors to runway 16R localizer (west side of localizer), approximately 16 mi north of sea. Just about localizer intercept approach clears us for the husky visual on the west side of the localizer. We then crossed the localizer and were in a right turn to re-intercept runway 16R localizer. About that time we got a TCASII then an RA I stopped the descent, continued the turn (saw visually) no abrupt maneuvering. Approach advised us of traffic (air carrier) then asked what we were doing. I replied heading back to localizer verify husky visual. I believe what caused the problem was being cleared for the husky visual on the west side of the localizer. There is no procedure from that side, also the time that the clearance was issued.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-300 CREW WAS CLRED FOR CHARTED VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16L AT SEA WITHOUT HAVING CONFLICTING ACFT IN SIGHT.
Narrative: APCH CTL GAVE OUR ACFT RADAR VECTORS IN VISUAL CONDITIONS. ATIS INFO CALLED FOR BAY VISUAL (ACFT ARRIVING FROM W) OR HUSKY VISUAL (ARRS FROM E). THE CTLR DID NOT GIVE US ANY VISUAL APCH PROC AS WE NEARED ALIGNMENT FOR RWY 16R FROM THE W. NEARLY RIGHT OVER THE FINAL APCH COURSE, APCH CTL ASKED IF WE HAD THE ACFT Y IN SIGHT THAT WAS BEING VECTORED FROM THE E FOR RWY 16L ON THE HUSKY VISUAL. WE COULD NOT CONFIRM THE TFC, AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WE WERE CLRED FOR THE HUSKY VISUAL APCH. THE CLRNC OCCURRED JUST BEFORE WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS THE FINAL APCH COURSE AT A 60 DEG ANGLE FROM THE WRONG SIDE FOR THE CLRNC GIVEN/ISSUED. THE CONFLICT OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS WITH AN RA. THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE RA WITHOUT ABRUPT MANEUVERING. BECAUSE OF THE TIMING OF THE RA AND THE NEED TO TRY TO REORIENT OURSELVES WITH THE CONFUSING CLRNC AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME, WE NEVER WERE ABLE TO SEE THE TFC. THE WHOLE ORDEAL WOULD HAVE BEEN EASILY AVOIDED HAD WE BEEN SIMPLY CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 533857: WE WERE ON THE JAWBN 7 ARR INTO SEA, AFTER ALKIA ON VECTORS TO RWY 16R LOC (W SIDE OF LOC), APPROX 16 MI N OF SEA. JUST ABOUT LOC INTERCEPT APCH CLRS US FOR THE HUSKY VISUAL ON THE W SIDE OF THE LOC. WE THEN CROSSED THE LOC AND WERE IN A R TURN TO RE-INTERCEPT RWY 16R LOC. ABOUT THAT TIME WE GOT A TCASII THEN AN RA I STOPPED THE DSCNT, CONTINUED THE TURN (SAW VISUALLY) NO ABRUPT MANEUVERING. APCH ADVISED US OF TFC (ACR) THEN ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING. I REPLIED HEADING BACK TO LOC VERIFY HUSKY VISUAL. I BELIEVE WHAT CAUSED THE PROB WAS BEING CLRED FOR THE HUSKY VISUAL ON THE W SIDE OF THE LOC. THERE IS NO PROC FROM THAT SIDE, ALSO THE TIME THAT THE CLRNC WAS ISSUED.
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.