Narrative:

En route to msy, ATIS was landing runway 28. Approximately 15 NM from airport, approach told us to plan a visual to runway 1. We quickly rebriefed and retuned navaids. We were cleared for visual to runway 1 and told to follow another carrier on 5 mi final. I saw the aircraft and continued to circle to runway 1. As we passed south, I lost sight of the field. The captain said he had the field, so I continued to circle. As I continued turning at approximately 5 DME, the captain said he wasn't sure he had the field. I descended to 1300 ft MSL and approximately 4.5 DME and prepared to go around. Tower asked us if we still had the runway in sight. The captain replied, 'we lost sight of the field.' tower gave us a heading of 280 degrees and instructed us to climb to 2000 ft. As we reached 2000 ft, we reacquired the runway and called it in sight. Tower reclred us to land on runway 1. We continued and landed uneventfully. This safety report was filed because of the deviation right of course when on circling approach to runway 1. Contributing factors: strong westerly winds of approximately 25 KTS at 1500 ft pushed us east. Should have used better landmarks/lights as references to positively identify the field throughout the entire approach. No NAVAID at the field. Corrective/preventive actions: ensure identing landmarks or lights can be continuously used as a reference by both pilots throughout a visual approach. Should have done a better job of referencing FMS direction to airport. Supplemental information from acn 639657: descending into msy from east. First officer PF, captain pilot monitoring. Winds at field out of the west 300 degrees at 11 KTS gusting to 18 KTS. We were cleared for a visual approach to runway 1 and shortly afterwards given traffic to follow on final. We continued on downwind as we were having trouble spotting the traffic against backgnd lights. When we did spot traffic, it was no factor. On the turn in, I acquired what I thought was the field -- a dark area amongst the lights about where I expected the field to be. As we descended through 2000 ft, still on a dog leg, I noticed the localizer was still not alive. My first thought was that I still had the frequency and course for the runway 28 ILS dialed in. I checked the frequency and course to be correct for runway 1. At about 1500 ft, I said 'let's not go any lower,' as I saw the DME showing 6 mi. Even though I had noted the curve in the river just south of the field while on downwind, I locked on to another dark area in the lights when we turned in -- about where I expected the field to be. An earlier xchk of the instruments would have raised an alarm sooner. I should also have confirmed on the turn in that the first officer was sure he had the field as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC DURING A NIGHT OP WHEN A B737-300 FLT CREW DEVIATES FROM PROPER GLIDE PATH AND EXTENDED RWY CTRLINE DURING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 1 AT MSY.

Narrative: ENRTE TO MSY, ATIS WAS LNDG RWY 28. APPROX 15 NM FROM ARPT, APCH TOLD US TO PLAN A VISUAL TO RWY 1. WE QUICKLY REBRIEFED AND RETUNED NAVAIDS. WE WERE CLRED FOR VISUAL TO RWY 1 AND TOLD TO FOLLOW ANOTHER CARRIER ON 5 MI FINAL. I SAW THE ACFT AND CONTINUED TO CIRCLE TO RWY 1. AS WE PASSED S, I LOST SIGHT OF THE FIELD. THE CAPT SAID HE HAD THE FIELD, SO I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE. AS I CONTINUED TURNING AT APPROX 5 DME, THE CAPT SAID HE WASN'T SURE HE HAD THE FIELD. I DSNDED TO 1300 FT MSL AND APPROX 4.5 DME AND PREPARED TO GO AROUND. TWR ASKED US IF WE STILL HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. THE CAPT REPLIED, 'WE LOST SIGHT OF THE FIELD.' TWR GAVE US A HDG OF 280 DEGS AND INSTRUCTED US TO CLB TO 2000 FT. AS WE REACHED 2000 FT, WE REACQUIRED THE RWY AND CALLED IT IN SIGHT. TWR RECLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 1. WE CONTINUED AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THIS SAFETY RPT WAS FILED BECAUSE OF THE DEV R OF COURSE WHEN ON CIRCLING APCH TO RWY 1. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: STRONG WESTERLY WINDS OF APPROX 25 KTS AT 1500 FT PUSHED US E. SHOULD HAVE USED BETTER LANDMARKS/LIGHTS AS REFS TO POSITIVELY IDENT THE FIELD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE APCH. NO NAVAID AT THE FIELD. CORRECTIVE/PREVENTIVE ACTIONS: ENSURE IDENTING LANDMARKS OR LIGHTS CAN BE CONTINUOUSLY USED AS A REF BY BOTH PLTS THROUGHOUT A VISUAL APCH. SHOULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF REFING FMS DIRECTION TO ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 639657: DSNDING INTO MSY FROM E. FO PF, CAPT PLT MONITORING. WINDS AT FIELD OUT OF THE W 300 DEGS AT 11 KTS GUSTING TO 18 KTS. WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 1 AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS GIVEN TFC TO FOLLOW ON FINAL. WE CONTINUED ON DOWNWIND AS WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE SPOTTING THE TFC AGAINST BACKGND LIGHTS. WHEN WE DID SPOT TRAFFIC, IT WAS NO FACTOR. ON THE TURN IN, I ACQUIRED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE FIELD -- A DARK AREA AMONGST THE LIGHTS ABOUT WHERE I EXPECTED THE FIELD TO BE. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 2000 FT, STILL ON A DOG LEG, I NOTICED THE LOC WAS STILL NOT ALIVE. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT I STILL HAD THE FREQ AND COURSE FOR THE RWY 28 ILS DIALED IN. I CHKED THE FREQ AND COURSE TO BE CORRECT FOR RWY 1. AT ABOUT 1500 FT, I SAID 'LET'S NOT GO ANY LOWER,' AS I SAW THE DME SHOWING 6 MI. EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOTED THE CURVE IN THE RIVER JUST S OF THE FIELD WHILE ON DOWNWIND, I LOCKED ON TO ANOTHER DARK AREA IN THE LIGHTS WHEN WE TURNED IN -- ABOUT WHERE I EXPECTED THE FIELD TO BE. AN EARLIER XCHK OF THE INSTS WOULD HAVE RAISED AN ALARM SOONER. I SHOULD ALSO HAVE CONFIRMED ON THE TURN IN THAT THE FO WAS SURE HE HAD THE FIELD AS WELL.

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.