<< >> NASA ASRS Report 564687, October 2002

DC8 crew was required to land below published minimums after finding their alternate airport runway was closed.

Attributes
ACN	564687
Time
Date	200210
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mggt.airport
State Reference	FO
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mggt.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 01
Flight Phase	cruise : holding descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 580 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	564687
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

We were dispatched to mggt and mhsp was the alternate. Upon arrival to mggt, the WX was below landing minimums. We requested clearance to the alternate and were told the runway was closed. The NOTAMS for mhsp advised that there were men and equipment on the runway, use caution. I feel that the controller read that as a closed runway. The language barrier was a problem. We then requested WX for surrounding airports, but thunderstorms in the vicinity ruled out those as options. We declared an emergency and proceeded to mggt. We descended in a holding pattern over the airport and could see the runway. We flew the published ILS with good visibility and landed uneventfully.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC8 CREW WAS REQUIRED TO LAND BELOW PUBLISHED MINIMUMS AFTER FINDING THEIR ALTERNATE ARPT RWY WAS CLOSED.

Narrative: WE WERE DISPATCHED TO MGGT AND MHSP WAS THE ALTERNATE. UPON ARR TO MGGT, THE WX WAS BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. WE REQUESTED CLRNC TO THE ALTERNATE AND WERE TOLD THE RWY WAS CLOSED. THE NOTAMS FOR MHSP ADVISED THAT THERE WERE MEN AND EQUIP ON THE RWY, USE CAUTION. I FEEL THAT THE CTLR READ THAT AS A CLOSED RWY. THE LANGUAGE BARRIER WAS A PROB. WE THEN REQUESTED WX FOR SURROUNDING ARPTS, BUT TSTMS IN THE VICINITY RULED OUT THOSE AS OPTIONS. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND PROCEEDED TO MGGT. WE DSNDED IN A HOLDING PATTERN OVER THE ARPT AND COULD SEE THE RWY. WE FLEW THE PUBLISHED ILS WITH GOOD VISIBILITY AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.

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.