ACR MLG TRACK DEV FROM VECTOR HDG TO VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25R AT ORD.
Synopsis
ACR MLG TRACK DEV FROM VECTOR HDG TO VISUAL APCH TO RWY 25R AT ORD.
Narrative
ON WED/JULY/91; ON FLT FROM BOS TO ORD; I WAS FLYING THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27R. WE HAD BEEN CLRED FROM 8000 FT TO 7000 FT MSL AND A L TURN TO 180 DEG AT PAPPI INTXN. IT WAS HAZY AND DARK AND VERY HARD TO SEE THE ORD COMPLEX. WE WERE HIGH AND FAST (250 KTS ASSIGNED) WHEN APCH ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT. I SAID I THOUGHT I DID AND SHUT OFF THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES TO GET DOWN TO 2500 FT. I ASKED FOR SLATS AND EXTENDED FULL SPD BRAKES. I KNEW I WAS HIGH AND HOT BUT KNEW I COULD GET DOWN SAFELY. THE PROBLEM WAS WHEN I TURNED TOWARD THE 27R RWY I DIDN'T TURN FAR ENOUGH AND HAD DRIFTED BTWN THE 27L AND 27R (LOC) EXTENSION. TWR ASKED IF WE HAD THE RWY AND THE CAPT ANSWERED YES AND DIRECTED ME TO TURN FURTHER R. HE REALIZED I HADN'T TURNED FAR ENOUGH TO THE R. I WAS CLOSE TO THE GS BUT L OF THE LOC AT APPROX 9 DME FROM ORD. AT THAT TIME WE SPOTTED AN ACR Y MLG MAKING A R TURN TO LINE UP WITH 27L. HE PASSED APPROX 1000 FT ABOVE AN OFF TO OUR L. IT WAS NOT A NEAR MISS SITUATION; I THINK MLG HAD US IN SIGHT; BUT I HAD FLOWN TOO FAR L OF CENTERLINE. I CONTINUED MY APCH AND LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. HOW TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM? STEEP; FAST APCHS (BEING DUMPED) HELPS TFC FLOW; BUT A MORE CTLED APCH COULD HAVE BEEN FLOWN ON THE AUTOPLT WITH AUTOMATIC LOC AND GS INTERCEPTION. IN MY SITUATION THE LOC MUST HAVE PASSED THROUGH THE CASE BUT I WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO GET DOWN; SLOW DOWN AND FIND THE RWY VISUALLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 185291. I THINK HAD THIS TFC BEEN POINTED OUT TO US AT THE TIME OF THE CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE SITUATION. MY ERROR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS LACK OF AWARENESS OF SURROUNDING TFC AS WELL AS LETTING THE FO CONTINUE WITHOUT CORRECTING HIS 'OVERSHOOT' BEFORE IT BECAME ONE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.