ATX MAKES APCH INTO CTL ZONE UNDER SVFR AT NIGHT WHEN NOT IFR CURRENT.

Date: 1992-02 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

ATX MAKES APCH INTO CTL ZONE UNDER SVFR AT NIGHT WHEN NOT IFR CURRENT.

Narrative

I WAS SCHEDULED TO DEP HAINES; AK; AT XA30. DUE TO MY PAX MEETING RUNNING LATE; WE DID NOT DEP HAINES; AK; UNTIL APPROX XA55. THE WX HAD BEEN OK WITH A FEW SNOW SHOWERS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA BTWN HAINES; AK; AND JUNEAU; AK. THE FORECAST FOR THE AREA WAS RELATIVELY GOOD AND CALLING FOR IMPROVEMENT. OFFICIAL TWILIGHT WAS AT XB07 THAT EVENING AND I DID NOT FEEL ANY APPREHENSION DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD JUST FINISHED MY NIGHT CURRENCY. I TOOK OFF FROM HAINES; AK; AND MY DEST WAS JUNEAU INTL ARPT. THE FLT USUALLY TAKES APPROX 35 MINS. AS I APCHED JUNEAU INTL I LISTENED TO ATIS. THE INFO WAS CALLING THE CEILINGS 1000 FT OBSCURED AND 2 MI VISIBILITY. WELL; I CALLED UP THE JUNEAU TWR AND RPTED MY POS. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED THAT THE CTL ZONE WAS IN EFFECT AND THAT I WAS TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE CTL ZONE DUE TO A MLG WHICH WAS APPROX 16 MI OUT. I STARTED TO CIRCLE OUTSIDE THE CTL ZONE WAITING FOR THE MLG TO LAND. VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 20 MI BECAUSE I COULD SEE THE JET AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE ATIS INFO. I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE; ABLE TO SEE THE JET ALL THE WAY UP TO WHAT IS KNOWN AS COUGHLAN ISLAND; WHICH IS USED FOR THE MISSED APCH POINT ON THE APCH. THE JET CONTINUED AND LANDED AND I WAS CLRED TO ENTER THE CTL ZONE FROM THE NW AND TO REMAIN AT OR BELOW 4200 FT AND TO RPT 1 MI FINAL. I WAS CLRED TO ENTER THE CTL ZONE WITH ANOTHER COMPANY PLANE AND TO REMAIN VISUALLY SEPARATED. I FOLLOWED THE OTHER PLANE APPROX 1-1/2 MI BEHIND HIM. HE LANDED AND TAXIED OFF AND I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I CAME IN; LANDED AND TAXIED IN TO THE MAIN RAMP AREA. UPON REVIEW OF THE FARS; I WAS IN VIOLATION DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS NIGHT AND I NEEDED A SVFR CLRNC TO GET IN. THIS USUALLY DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME WE FLY ALL DAY FLTS; AND BEING IN AK; THE IFR IS NOT USEFUL FOR MOST ATX OPERATORS BECAUSE OF THE LIMITATIONS; MEA; ETC. THEREFORE; I NOW KNOW AND WILL REMEMBER IN THE FUTURE ABOUT SVFR AT NIGHT; BUT I KNOW THIS DOES NOT EXCUSE MY ACTION AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. I FEEL THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE SOMEWHAT OUT OF MY CTL; BUT I KNOW I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS OVERSIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 203240: AS WE ARE A VFR DAY NIGHT OP; I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE COVERED THIS AREA BETTER IN TRAINING. I HAVE MODIFIED OUR TRAINING MANUAL TO REFLECT THIS. I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE A PROBLEM UNIQUE TO AK OPERATORS AS THERE IS VERY LITTLE IFR; SO NOT MANY PLTS ARE IFR CURRENT; YET WE DO FLY NIGHT VFR IN GOOD CONDITIONS; BUT DUE TO POOR FORECASTING; WE CAN GET CAUGHT OUT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.