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M20E pilot has difficulty with pbi runway 27L recognition while distraction by passenger condition and WX factors, causing departure delays after executing a go around.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 608265 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200402 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pbi.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pbi.tracon tower : pbi.tower tower : phl.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | M-20 E Super 21 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival : on vectors |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 608265 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger illness inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : executed go around flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Airport Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Environmental Factor |
Narrative:
Was on VFR flight following. Given instruction to contact tower and was cleared to land on runway 27L. Runway 27R was clearly visible, but I could not see runway 27L. Runway 9L is a bit obscured. After re-vectoring, was able to see runway 27L, but was asked to give the tower a call. Aircraft were held until situation resolved. There were no incidents. Also was some distraction in cockpit from passenger with intense earache while descending from altitude, made cockpit very busy. This pilot thinks that runway 27L needs better markings. The tower, when phoned as requested, indicated they were concerned and wanted to know what the problems were. I explained that runway 27L was just not visible from the point that I was cleared to land. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that it was his first time into pbi, that he received vectors to the airport and that WX conditions, runway location, passenger illness, and the afternoon sun position 'conspired' to cause his problem in finding the runway. The reporter's problem is that he did not recognize runway 27L because of its position, reference other runways and its much narrower width. The reporter advised that bigger, more prominent numbering might help in runway recognition.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: M20E PLT HAS DIFFICULTY WITH PBI RWY 27L RECOGNITION WHILE DISTR BY PAX CONDITION AND WX FACTORS, CAUSING DEP DELAYS AFTER EXECUTING A GAR.
Narrative: WAS ON VFR FLT FOLLOWING. GIVEN INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 27L. RWY 27R WAS CLRLY VISIBLE, BUT I COULD NOT SEE RWY 27L. RWY 9L IS A BIT OBSCURED. AFTER RE-VECTORING, WAS ABLE TO SEE RWY 27L, BUT WAS ASKED TO GIVE THE TWR A CALL. ACFT WERE HELD UNTIL SIT RESOLVED. THERE WERE NO INCIDENTS. ALSO WAS SOME DISTR IN COCKPIT FROM PAX WITH INTENSE EARACHE WHILE DSNDING FROM ALT, MADE COCKPIT VERY BUSY. THIS PLT THINKS THAT RWY 27L NEEDS BETTER MARKINGS. THE TWR, WHEN PHONED AS REQUESTED, INDICATED THEY WERE CONCERNED AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBS WERE. I EXPLAINED THAT RWY 27L WAS JUST NOT VISIBLE FROM THE POINT THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT IT WAS HIS FIRST TIME INTO PBI, THAT HE RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE ARPT AND THAT WX CONDITIONS, RWY LOCATION, PAX ILLNESS, AND THE AFTERNOON SUN POS 'CONSPIRED' TO CAUSE HIS PROB IN FINDING THE RWY. THE RPTR'S PROB IS THAT HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE RWY 27L BECAUSE OF ITS POS, REF OTHER RWYS AND ITS MUCH NARROWER WIDTH. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT BIGGER, MORE PROMINENT NUMBERING MIGHT HELP IN RWY RECOGNITION.
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.