Narrative:

This trip to sllp was my most challenging yet as a captain. After receiving the WX; it appeared that there could possibly be a tailwind of more than 10 KTS; requiring a night circling approach to land on runway 28. We briefed the VOR DME ILS 2 to runway 10 to circling MDA. (This; of course; had to be manually corrected up to air carrier's 1000 ft minimums. Taking the published CAT C MDA of 14200 ft; which equates to 887 ft afl; we added 113 ftto that and rounded up to the nearest 100 ft to get 14400 ft. It is easy as I type this; but not quite the same in a dark cockpit after flying 6+ hours.) then if the reported winds were above the 10 KT limit; we planned to break it off and circle south to land on runway 28. During the turn to intercept runway 10 final; tower advised that the runway 28 PAPI was OTS. Approaching MDA tower winds were indeed greater than a 10 KT tailwind; so we leveled off and flew the circling maneuver. With a crosswind (at MDA) of more than 25 KTS; I elected to fly as wide a downwind as possible; but with the VOR being approximately 1 1/2 mi east of the runway; it was difficult to judge the parameters of the circling protected category C airspace. During the downwind portion; the first officer helpfully pointed out that there was a significant crosswind; so as to prepare me for the turn to final. I acknowledged his hint; but still managed a slight overshoot. Watching the amber and red areas appear on the egpws during the turn to final was not a confidence builder. Once we were on final; without the aid of the PAPI it was extremely difficult to be certain if we were on the proper glide path. Adding to the difficulty was the exceptionally uneven terrain below us on final for runway 28; which is in no way depicted on any of the charts. This story has a happy and successful ending; but I have several recommendations to ensure that this procedure is flown as safely as possible in the future. First: PAPI should be made mandatory if circling at night to runway 28 at sllp if in a non-pegasus aircraft. Second: include a statement on the special airport information pages that the category C circling protected airspace is 4.2 NM. This will aid in ensuring proper displacement to account for the higher ground speeds at 14000 ft. Another helpful statement could mention increased turn radius and proper lead points. (See the discussion below about 140 KIAS equating to 180 ktas at 14000 ft with a resulting turn radius of 5000 ft at 30 degrees of bank.) as an aside; with this in mind; it would be nearly impossible to fly this maneuver within the terps 1.7 NM criteria due to the turn diameter being 2 X 5000 ft or 10000 ft. And that number assumes 30 degrees of bank; which we seldom use. Third: add a special airport information page with a suggested ground track containing some type of visual and/or navigation points for reference during the circling maneuver. In fact; documentation even mentions this 'visual maneuvering using prescribed track.' fourth: make every effort to send only pegasus-equipped aircraft to sllp in order to make use of putting a 4.2 NM ring around the airport (on the fix page); and to have a vti available to further aid in situational awareness. Fifth: add a statement addressing the uneven terrain on final for runway 28 (similar to the existing statement for runway 10). Sixth: and this is most critical -- reinstate the 1-YR currency requirement for capts at this airport. This was only my second trip to sllp; meaning it was my first after the IOE with a check airman. Looking at my record; I see that the IOE was accomplished more than 2 yrs ago. This scenario is a recipe for disaster! Had it not been for my considerable experience flying circling approachs in C130's and the invaluable assistance of 2 highly qualified first officer's; this approach would have had less desirable outcomes -- the best of which would have been a divert.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CAPTAIN REVIEWS PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH ALT CIRCLING APCHS AS THEY PERTAIN TO OPERATIONS AT SLLP.

Narrative: THIS TRIP TO SLLP WAS MY MOST CHALLENGING YET AS A CAPT. AFTER RECEIVING THE WX; IT APPEARED THAT THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE A TAILWIND OF MORE THAN 10 KTS; REQUIRING A NIGHT CIRCLING APCH TO LAND ON RWY 28. WE BRIEFED THE VOR DME ILS 2 TO RWY 10 TO CIRCLING MDA. (THIS; OF COURSE; HAD TO BE MANUALLY CORRECTED UP TO ACR'S 1000 FT MINIMUMS. TAKING THE PUBLISHED CAT C MDA OF 14200 FT; WHICH EQUATES TO 887 FT AFL; WE ADDED 113 FTTO THAT AND ROUNDED UP TO THE NEAREST 100 FT TO GET 14400 FT. IT IS EASY AS I TYPE THIS; BUT NOT QUITE THE SAME IN A DARK COCKPIT AFTER FLYING 6+ HRS.) THEN IF THE RPTED WINDS WERE ABOVE THE 10 KT LIMIT; WE PLANNED TO BREAK IT OFF AND CIRCLE S TO LAND ON RWY 28. DURING THE TURN TO INTERCEPT RWY 10 FINAL; TWR ADVISED THAT THE RWY 28 PAPI WAS OTS. APCHING MDA TWR WINDS WERE INDEED GREATER THAN A 10 KT TAILWIND; SO WE LEVELED OFF AND FLEW THE CIRCLING MANEUVER. WITH A XWIND (AT MDA) OF MORE THAN 25 KTS; I ELECTED TO FLY AS WIDE A DOWNWIND AS POSSIBLE; BUT WITH THE VOR BEING APPROX 1 1/2 MI E OF THE RWY; IT WAS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE PARAMETERS OF THE CIRCLING PROTECTED CATEGORY C AIRSPACE. DURING THE DOWNWIND PORTION; THE FO HELPFULLY POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT XWIND; SO AS TO PREPARE ME FOR THE TURN TO FINAL. I ACKNOWLEDGED HIS HINT; BUT STILL MANAGED A SLIGHT OVERSHOOT. WATCHING THE AMBER AND RED AREAS APPEAR ON THE EGPWS DURING THE TURN TO FINAL WAS NOT A CONFIDENCE BUILDER. ONCE WE WERE ON FINAL; WITHOUT THE AID OF THE PAPI IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO BE CERTAIN IF WE WERE ON THE PROPER GLIDE PATH. ADDING TO THE DIFFICULTY WAS THE EXCEPTIONALLY UNEVEN TERRAIN BELOW US ON FINAL FOR RWY 28; WHICH IS IN NO WAY DEPICTED ON ANY OF THE CHARTS. THIS STORY HAS A HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL ENDING; BUT I HAVE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THIS PROC IS FLOWN AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE IN THE FUTURE. FIRST: PAPI SHOULD BE MADE MANDATORY IF CIRCLING AT NIGHT TO RWY 28 AT SLLP IF IN A NON-PEGASUS ACFT. SECOND: INCLUDE A STATEMENT ON THE SPECIAL ARPT INFO PAGES THAT THE CATEGORY C CIRCLING PROTECTED AIRSPACE IS 4.2 NM. THIS WILL AID IN ENSURING PROPER DISPLACEMENT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE HIGHER GND SPDS AT 14000 FT. ANOTHER HELPFUL STATEMENT COULD MENTION INCREASED TURN RADIUS AND PROPER LEAD POINTS. (SEE THE DISCUSSION BELOW ABOUT 140 KIAS EQUATING TO 180 KTAS AT 14000 FT WITH A RESULTING TURN RADIUS OF 5000 FT AT 30 DEGS OF BANK.) AS AN ASIDE; WITH THIS IN MIND; IT WOULD BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FLY THIS MANEUVER WITHIN THE TERPS 1.7 NM CRITERIA DUE TO THE TURN DIAMETER BEING 2 X 5000 FT OR 10000 FT. AND THAT NUMBER ASSUMES 30 DEGS OF BANK; WHICH WE SELDOM USE. THIRD: ADD A SPECIAL ARPT INFO PAGE WITH A SUGGESTED GND TRACK CONTAINING SOME TYPE OF VISUAL AND/OR NAV POINTS FOR REF DURING THE CIRCLING MANEUVER. IN FACT; DOCUMENTATION EVEN MENTIONS THIS 'VISUAL MANEUVERING USING PRESCRIBED TRACK.' FOURTH: MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO SEND ONLY PEGASUS-EQUIPPED ACFT TO SLLP IN ORDER TO MAKE USE OF PUTTING A 4.2 NM RING AROUND THE ARPT (ON THE FIX PAGE); AND TO HAVE A VTI AVAILABLE TO FURTHER AID IN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. FIFTH: ADD A STATEMENT ADDRESSING THE UNEVEN TERRAIN ON FINAL FOR RWY 28 (SIMILAR TO THE EXISTING STATEMENT FOR RWY 10). SIXTH: AND THIS IS MOST CRITICAL -- REINSTATE THE 1-YR CURRENCY REQUIREMENT FOR CAPTS AT THIS ARPT. THIS WAS ONLY MY SECOND TRIP TO SLLP; MEANING IT WAS MY FIRST AFTER THE IOE WITH A CHK AIRMAN. LOOKING AT MY RECORD; I SEE THAT THE IOE WAS ACCOMPLISHED MORE THAN 2 YRS AGO. THIS SCENARIO IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER! HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR MY CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE FLYING CIRCLING APCHS IN C130'S AND THE INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE OF 2 HIGHLY QUALIFIED FO'S; THIS APCH WOULD HAVE HAD LESS DESIRABLE OUTCOMES -- THE BEST OF WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A DIVERT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.