Light transport overshot turn onto final approach when cleared for a visual approach.

Attributes
ACN	98375
Time
Date	198811
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2869 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	98375
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: original report was 35% destroyed by post office. Called for a rundown on what happened. He said that they were on a right base leg for a visual to runway 21R at dtw. They were vectored to intercept at a 50 degree angle. They were given traffic to follow and they sighted this aircraft jus as it intercepted the localizer. They were then cleared for the visual approach to follow this aircraft. They did not have the airport in sight due to haze and sun position. The captain, PNF, went inside the cockpit to perform some of his duties and then went back outside. At this time, the first officer said he had lost the aircraft he was to follow. Captain helped him look for a few seconds and then went back inside just in time to see them going through the localizer. He immediately told first officer to turn back and re-intercept localizer. While they were doing this, the approach controller called and reminded them that parallel approachs were in progress. The rest of the approach and landing were uneventful. Reporter is unaware of any conflict that may have occurred. Reporter said that he is appalled at the controller's giving visual approachs when the airport environment is not in sight by the flight crews.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT OVERSHOT TURN ONTO FINAL APCH WHEN CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ORIGINAL RPT WAS 35% DESTROYED BY POST OFFICE. CALLED FOR A RUNDOWN ON WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID THAT THEY WERE ON A RIGHT BASE LEG FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 21R AT DTW. THEY WERE VECTORED TO INTERCEPT AT A 50 DEG ANGLE. THEY WERE GIVEN TFC TO FOLLOW AND THEY SIGHTED THIS ACFT JUS AS IT INTERCEPTED THE LOC. THEY WERE THEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO FOLLOW THIS ACFT. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT DUE TO HAZE AND SUN POS. THE CAPT, PNF, WENT INSIDE THE COCKPIT TO PERFORM SOME OF HIS DUTIES AND THEN WENT BACK OUTSIDE. AT THIS TIME, THE F/O SAID HE HAD LOST THE ACFT HE WAS TO FOLLOW. CAPT HELPED HIM LOOK FOR A FEW SECS AND THEN WENT BACK INSIDE JUST IN TIME TO SEE THEM GOING THROUGH THE LOC. HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD F/O TO TURN BACK AND RE-INTERCEPT LOC. WHILE THEY WERE DOING THIS, THE APCH CTLR CALLED AND REMINDED THEM THAT PARALLEL APCHS WERE IN PROGRESS. THE REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. RPTR IS UNAWARE OF ANY CONFLICT THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED. RPTR SAID THAT HE IS APPALLED AT THE CTLR'S GIVING VISUAL APCHS WHEN THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT IS NOT IN SIGHT BY THE FLT CREWS.

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