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B190 crew on base inbound to den asked by approach control to follow A320 traffic at 10 O'clock position and later learned traffic to follow was the second A320 aircraft on approach.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 572842 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200302 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : den.vor |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : d01.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Beech 1900 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : d01.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1600 |
| ASRS Report | 572842 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 15000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
After receiving base vector to runway 17R visual approach, approach controller alerted us to follow traffic 'at your 10 O'clock position' -- both crew members saw an a319 at our 10 O'clock position and responded 'traffic in sight.' -- we were told to follow that traffic 'cleared for visual approach runway 17R.' we began to square our base turn in order to stabilize our approach profile, and to maintain separation from traffic to follow -- soon after reaching 8000 ft MSL and approximately heading of 265 degrees. Approach queried us as to the A320 at our 12 O'clock position. At this time, we slowed to our minimum approach airspeed, deployed our approach flaps, and lowered the landing gear. We fell in 3 mi trail of the airbus and continued. Crew was discussing 'our go around' option when tower changed our runway to runway 17L. Landed uneventfully. In our view, the 'traffic to follow' call from approach was vague as there were 2 A320's on final! ATC wanted us to follow the second A320 that was at our 2 O'clock position initially. Contributing factors were several airspeed adjustments prior to base vector, morning bank air traffic, and incorrect identify of following traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B190 CREW ON BASE INBOUND TO DEN ASKED BY APCH CTL TO FOLLOW A320 TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK POS AND LATER LEARNED TFC TO FOLLOW WAS THE SECOND A320 ACFT ON APCH.
Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING BASE VECTOR TO RWY 17R VISUAL APCH, APCH CTLR ALERTED US TO FOLLOW TFC 'AT YOUR 10 O'CLOCK POS' -- BOTH CREW MEMBERS SAW AN a319 AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND RESPONDED 'TFC IN SIGHT.' -- WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW THAT TFC 'CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 17R.' WE BEGAN TO SQUARE OUR BASE TURN IN ORDER TO STABILIZE OUR APCH PROFILE, AND TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION FROM TFC TO FOLLOW -- SOON AFTER REACHING 8000 FT MSL AND APPROX HDG OF 265 DEGS. APCH QUERIED US AS TO THE A320 AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS. AT THIS TIME, WE SLOWED TO OUR MINIMUM APCH AIRSPD, DEPLOYED OUR APCH FLAPS, AND LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR. WE FELL IN 3 MI TRAIL OF THE AIRBUS AND CONTINUED. CREW WAS DISCUSSING 'OUR GAR' OPTION WHEN TWR CHANGED OUR RWY TO RWY 17L. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. IN OUR VIEW, THE 'TFC TO FOLLOW' CALL FROM APCH WAS VAGUE AS THERE WERE 2 A320'S ON FINAL! ATC WANTED US TO FOLLOW THE SECOND A320 THAT WAS AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS INITIALLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE SEVERAL AIRSPD ADJUSTMENTS PRIOR TO BASE VECTOR, MORNING BANK AIR TFC, AND INCORRECT IDENT OF FOLLOWING TFC.
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.