Narrative:

I respectfully request that FAA review this report with las approach and with other airlines that fly into las. A little more information and awareness about the night visual apches to runways 1L/right and a cautionary note under general on the approach page (or somewhere) could prevent an accident. Also; an MVA chart for las would be very helpful. The flight plan message should read: exercise extreme caution when flying apches to runways 1L/right at night due to unlit high terrain (a ridgeline) 9 miles south of the airport. Recommend crews landing north at night fly the ILS to runway 1L; with close adherence to minimum altitudes. The normal visual 3 to 1 profiles; the PAPI to runway 1R and FMC computer vertical track guidance may not provide adequate terrain clearance for visual apches to runways 1L/right. On our flight; with two experienced international pilots; we briefed terrain considerations; reviewed the chart (ILS to runway 1L); discussed egpws/grid moras/MSA's and noted that radar vectors (hopefully with MVA's provided) to visual apches to runway 1L/right were likely (as per the arrival chart and ATIS). Las vegas approach cleared us for the visual to runway 1R and then subsequently gave us two turns to intercept the runway 1R final. They vectored us heading 340 degrees to join runway 1R and that put us directly between the 3700 foot and 3291 foot peaks and right over the top of an unlit 3500 foot ridgeline. I'm guessing las approach was trying to expedite our final and perhaps that they gave little or no consideration to our altitude; descent rate or to MVA's once we accepted the visual approach. However; approach still expected us to fly assigned headings that turned us right over the terrain. The vectors and service provided were normal and routine. However; I think they can do better. I suggest they include a cross 8 south above 5200 ft to visual apches to runway 1L/right or when able that they vector and direct flts to maneuver to the east of the 3700 foot peak; then turn to join the runway 1R final at 5 miles (5 south of the airport). Honestly; any greater level of contribution from ATC to the safety of night operations to runways 1L/right would be excellent. On our flight; at 10 miles from the airport on a 340 degree heading and an altitude of approximately 5200 ft MSL (approximately 3000 afl and on the 3 to 1 profile); showing well above the FMC computed vertical track guidance (which we were using for backup information only); on the PAPI and with normal descent rates; we observed the peak rising to our right blocking out the city lights and dark terrain rising menacingly in front of us. FYI the PAPI for runway 1R is 3 degrees (the one for runway 1L is 3.4 degrees) and we observed the runway 1R PAPI to be red over white within moments of seeing the peak block city lights; we received a 'caution terrain' at which point I immediately leveled the airplane (with absolutely no delay or hesitation... Within 1 second of the caution). I observed my radio altimeter read 1200 ft AGL as we crossed the ridgeline; and that was after I had leveled off. My conclusion is the pilots flying very close to the normal 3 to 1 visual profiles to las runway 1L/right could easily become unacceptably low; especially with the dynamic conditions and descent rates that sometimes occur with visual apches (such as slam dunks; different airspeeds; descent rates; distractions; visibility and pilot reaction times). All of these common variables could easily put a flight below the 3 to 1 path and into a CFIT right into that unlit ridge line or into an emergency escape. Bottom line: it could happen to anyone; it's a trap and we can do something to prevent it.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised the aircraft on which the event occurred was not GPS equipped and was not capable of performing the RNAV (GPS) approach to runway 1R. In addition; the as soon as possible report generated a company flight plan alert message advising flight crews to be aware of the terrain issues. Message suggests flight crews maintain 5000 ft MSL to nine miles on the extended runway centerline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CAPT BELIEVES THAT GREATER EMPHASIS ON TERRAIN CLRNC IS NECESSARY FOR CONDUCTING NIGHT VISUAL APCHES TO RWY'S 1 AT LAS.

Narrative: I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT FAA REVIEW THIS RPT WITH LAS APCH AND WITH OTHER AIRLINES THAT FLY INTO LAS. A LITTLE MORE INFO AND AWARENESS ABOUT THE NIGHT VISUAL APCHES TO RWYS 1L/R AND A CAUTIONARY NOTE UNDER GENERAL ON THE APCH PAGE (OR SOMEWHERE) COULD PREVENT AN ACCIDENT. ALSO; AN MVA CHART FOR LAS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. THE FLT PLAN MSG SHOULD READ: EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN FLYING APCHES TO RWYS 1L/R AT NIGHT DUE TO UNLIT HIGH TERRAIN (A RIDGELINE) 9 MILES S OF THE ARPT. RECOMMEND CREWS LNDG N AT NIGHT FLY THE ILS TO RWY 1L; WITH CLOSE ADHERENCE TO MINIMUM ALTS. THE NORMAL VISUAL 3 TO 1 PROFILES; THE PAPI TO RWY 1R AND FMC COMPUTER VERTICAL TRACK GUIDANCE MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLRNC FOR VISUAL APCHES TO RWYS 1L/R. ON OUR FLT; WITH TWO EXPERIENCED INTERNATIONAL PLTS; WE BRIEFED TERRAIN CONSIDERATIONS; REVIEWED THE CHART (ILS TO RWY 1L); DISCUSSED EGPWS/GRID MORAS/MSA'S AND NOTED THAT RADAR VECTORS (HOPEFULLY WITH MVA'S PROVIDED) TO VISUAL APCHES TO RWY 1L/R WERE LIKELY (AS PER THE ARR CHART AND ATIS). LAS VEGAS APCH CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 1R AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY GAVE US TWO TURNS TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 1R FINAL. THEY VECTORED US HDG 340 DEGS TO JOIN RWY 1R AND THAT PUT US DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE 3700 FOOT AND 3291 FOOT PEAKS AND RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF AN UNLIT 3500 FOOT RIDGELINE. I'M GUESSING LAS APCH WAS TRYING TO EXPEDITE OUR FINAL AND PERHAPS THAT THEY GAVE LITTLE OR NO CONSIDERATION TO OUR ALT; DSCNT RATE OR TO MVA'S ONCE WE ACCEPTED THE VISUAL APCH. HOWEVER; APCH STILL EXPECTED US TO FLY ASSIGNED HDGS THAT TURNED US RIGHT OVER THE TERRAIN. THE VECTORS AND SVC PROVIDED WERE NORMAL AND ROUTINE. HOWEVER; I THINK THEY CAN DO BETTER. I SUGGEST THEY INCLUDE A CROSS 8 S ABOVE 5200 FT TO VISUAL APCHES TO RWY 1L/R OR WHEN ABLE THAT THEY VECTOR AND DIRECT FLTS TO MANEUVER TO THE E OF THE 3700 FOOT PEAK; THEN TURN TO JOIN THE RWY 1R FINAL AT 5 MILES (5 S OF THE ARPT). HONESTLY; ANY GREATER LEVEL OF CONTRIBUTION FROM ATC TO THE SAFETY OF NIGHT OPS TO RWYS 1L/R WOULD BE EXCELLENT. ON OUR FLT; AT 10 MILES FROM THE ARPT ON A 340 DEG HDG AND AN ALT OF APPROX 5200 FT MSL (APPROX 3000 AFL AND ON THE 3 TO 1 PROFILE); SHOWING WELL ABOVE THE FMC COMPUTED VERTICAL TRACK GUIDANCE (WHICH WE WERE USING FOR BACKUP INFO ONLY); ON THE PAPI AND WITH NORMAL DSCNT RATES; WE OBSERVED THE PEAK RISING TO OUR RIGHT BLOCKING OUT THE CITY LIGHTS AND DARK TERRAIN RISING MENACINGLY IN FRONT OF US. FYI THE PAPI FOR RWY 1R IS 3 DEGS (THE ONE FOR RWY 1L IS 3.4 DEGS) AND WE OBSERVED THE RWY 1R PAPI TO BE RED OVER WHITE WITHIN MOMENTS OF SEEING THE PEAK BLOCK CITY LIGHTS; WE RECEIVED A 'CAUTION TERRAIN' AT WHICH POINT I IMMEDIATELY LEVELED THE AIRPLANE (WITH ABSOLUTELY NO DELAY OR HESITATION... WITHIN 1 SECOND OF THE CAUTION). I OBSERVED MY RADIO ALTIMETER READ 1200 FT AGL AS WE CROSSED THE RIDGELINE; AND THAT WAS AFTER I HAD LEVELED OFF. MY CONCLUSION IS THE PILOTS FLYING VERY CLOSE TO THE NORMAL 3 TO 1 VISUAL PROFILES TO LAS RWY 1L/R COULD EASILY BECOME UNACCEPTABLY LOW; ESPECIALLY WITH THE DYNAMIC CONDITIONS AND DSCNT RATES THAT SOMETIMES OCCUR WITH VISUAL APCHES (SUCH AS SLAM DUNKS; DIFFERENT AIRSPEEDS; DSCNT RATES; DISTRACTIONS; VISIBILITY AND PLT REACTION TIMES). ALL OF THESE COMMON VARIABLES COULD EASILY PUT A FLT BELOW THE 3 TO 1 PATH AND INTO A CFIT RIGHT INTO THAT UNLIT RIDGE LINE OR INTO AN EMER ESCAPE. BOTTOM LINE: IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE; IT'S A TRAP AND WE CAN DO SOMETHING TO PREVENT IT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER ADVISED THE ACFT ON WHICH THE EVENT OCCURRED WAS NOT GPS EQUIPPED AND WAS NOT CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THE RNAV (GPS) APCH TO RWY 1R. IN ADDITION; THE ASAP REPORT GENERATED A COMPANY FLT PLAN ALERT MESSAGE ADVISING FLT CREWS TO BE AWARE OF THE TERRAIN ISSUES. MESSAGE SUGGESTS FLT CREWS MAINTAIN 5000 FT MSL TO NINE MILES ON THE EXTENDED RWY CENTERLINE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.