Wrong airport approach to dma in an A320 during a night operation when tired flight crew distraction...

Attributes
ACN	608822
Time
Date	200402
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tus.airport
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1500 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : u90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern 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 : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	608822
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry cabin event : passenger illness non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Cabin Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Late night flight to tus. Long day, starting late for our body clocks, so fatigue was a factor. During descent for arrival, lead flight attendant informed cockpit crew of medical emergency. Captain became involved in coordination with flight attendants, ATC, company for medical technicians to meet aircraft, declaring a medical emergency. Now increased workload and medical situation became factors. I, first officer, was flying and talking to ATC. All seemed well as the airbus provided a map picture and reasonable predictive tools. Captain came back in the loop. He asked me to configure, increase descent rate due to proximity to airport. I thought we were ok but complied, performing a maximum drag maneuver, adding to my concentration on aircraft control. He reported airport in sight to tus approach and asked again for me to 'get down,' as the airport was 'right there,' pointing out the window to 10 O'clock position. I maneuvered visually for runway he pointed to, but it didn't look right on the instruments. He pointed out that I was 'white over white' on the VASI's so I must see a false glide path/localizer. I continued on a left base to final, stated again 'something doesn't look right.' captain asked, 'is there an AFB near here?' I said 'yes, davis monthan AFB.' almost simultaneously, I advanced power to go around. Captain said 'go around' and tus approach queried us about our position. From approximately 1500 ft AGL, I made a climbing r-hand turn to enter a left downwind at pattern altitude for runway 11L at tus -- prominently displayed on my map picture and now glaringly apparent visually. I continued visually to land at tus uneventfully. Fortunately, no other aircraft were in the vicinity. I recalled noting the close proximity of davis monthan AFB to tus on the approach chart, but didn't emphasize it in my brief to captain due to interruption by flight attendants concerning the sick passenger. In retrospect, I could have been more vocal in expressing my concern about instrument and visual disparities to the captain as he locked onto the first runway he saw, and I, dutifully, followed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH TO DMA IN AN A320 DURING A NIGHT OP WHEN TIRED FLT CREW DISTR WITH MEDICAL EMER PRIOR TO LNDG AT TUS, AZ.

Narrative: LATE NIGHT FLT TO TUS. LONG DAY, STARTING LATE FOR OUR BODY CLOCKS, SO FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. DURING DSCNT FOR ARR, LEAD FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED COCKPIT CREW OF MEDICAL EMER. CAPT BECAME INVOLVED IN COORD WITH FLT ATTENDANTS, ATC, COMPANY FOR MEDICAL TECHNICIANS TO MEET ACFT, DECLARING A MEDICAL EMER. NOW INCREASED WORKLOAD AND MEDICAL SIT BECAME FACTORS. I, FO, WAS FLYING AND TALKING TO ATC. ALL SEEMED WELL AS THE AIRBUS PROVIDED A MAP PICTURE AND REASONABLE PREDICTIVE TOOLS. CAPT CAME BACK IN THE LOOP. HE ASKED ME TO CONFIGURE, INCREASE DSCNT RATE DUE TO PROX TO ARPT. I THOUGHT WE WERE OK BUT COMPLIED, PERFORMING A MAX DRAG MANEUVER, ADDING TO MY CONCENTRATION ON ACFT CTL. HE RPTED ARPT IN SIGHT TO TUS APCH AND ASKED AGAIN FOR ME TO 'GET DOWN,' AS THE ARPT WAS 'RIGHT THERE,' POINTING OUT THE WINDOW TO 10 O'CLOCK POS. I MANEUVERED VISUALLY FOR RWY HE POINTED TO, BUT IT DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT ON THE INSTS. HE POINTED OUT THAT I WAS 'WHITE OVER WHITE' ON THE VASI'S SO I MUST SEE A FALSE GLIDE PATH/LOC. I CONTINUED ON A L BASE TO FINAL, STATED AGAIN 'SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.' CAPT ASKED, 'IS THERE AN AFB NEAR HERE?' I SAID 'YES, DAVIS MONTHAN AFB.' ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, I ADVANCED PWR TO GO AROUND. CAPT SAID 'GO AROUND' AND TUS APCH QUERIED US ABOUT OUR POS. FROM APPROX 1500 FT AGL, I MADE A CLBING R-HAND TURN TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND AT PATTERN ALT FOR RWY 11L AT TUS -- PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON MY MAP PICTURE AND NOW GLARINGLY APPARENT VISUALLY. I CONTINUED VISUALLY TO LAND AT TUS UNEVENTFULLY. FORTUNATELY, NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE VICINITY. I RECALLED NOTING THE CLOSE PROX OF DAVIS MONTHAN AFB TO TUS ON THE APCH CHART, BUT DIDN'T EMPHASIZE IT IN MY BRIEF TO CAPT DUE TO INTERRUPTION BY FLT ATTENDANTS CONCERNING THE SICK PAX. IN RETROSPECT, I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE VOCAL IN EXPRESSING MY CONCERN ABOUT INST AND VISUAL DISPARITIES TO THE CAPT AS HE LOCKED ONTO THE FIRST RWY HE SAW, AND I, DUTIFULLY, FOLLOWED.

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.

Wrong airport approach to dma in an A320 during a night operation when tired flight crew distraction with medical emergency prior to landing at tus, az.