SMA FLIES AT NIGHT; IN SNOW; LIGHTS ON; PENETRATES ATA CAUSES MLG TO MAP.

1992-03 · NASA ASRS report 205696

Date: 1992-03 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-vfr-in-imc|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

SMA FLIES AT NIGHT; IN SNOW; LIGHTS ON; PENETRATES ATA CAUSES MLG TO MAP.

Narrative

I WAS RETURNING TO LWM FROM TEB AT XX30 AFTER WORKING ALL DAY IN NEW YORK CITY. I MAKE THIS TRIP SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH HAVE A SET DEP IN VFR TO KEEP ME CLR OF THE TCA AND ATA. AS I WAS HDG UP THE L BANK OF THE HUDSON RIVER AT 1500 FT I ADJUSTED COURSE TO THE TAPAN-ZEE BRIDGE; FROM WHICH I NORMALLY START A CLB DIRECT TO THE CMK VOR. IT WAS JUST BEFORE THE TAPAN-ZEE BRIDGE THAT I ENCOUNTERED SNOW. THIS WAS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT AND IT WAS DISORIENTING SINCE I KEEP ALL LIGHTS ON (LNDG; STROBES) UNTIL WELL OUT OF NY AIRSPACE. MY LNDG LIGHT CAUSED A 'TUNNEL EFFECT' OF HORIZONTAL SNOW. THE STROBES CAUSED DISTRACTING 'BURSTS' OF SNOW. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD TO THE GND SOMEWHAT FORWARD. I CONSIDERED TURNING OFF MY LNDG LIGHT BUT I WELCOMED THE MEASURING OF SNOW DENSITY SINCE I WAS CONSIDERING TURNING BACK OR LNDG. I DECIDED AGAINST MY NORMAL CLB AND CONCENTRATED ON FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. THE SNOW GREW LESS DENSE AND WAS GONE ALTOGETHER AFTER 20 MINS; I CLBED TO 3500 FT FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIP. ON APCH TO LWM I WAS CONTACTED BY BOSTON TRACON AND THEY GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL... AFTER TALKING WITH THEM AND NY TRACON THEY INDICATED THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN INSIDE THE WHITE PLAINS ATA AND CAUSED AN MLG ON FINAL TO EXECUTE A MISSED APCH. I DID NOT SEE ANY NEAR AIRPLANES BUT I DID HAVE A XWIND THAT COULD HAVE PUT ME IN THE ATA. MY FIRST THOUGHTS AT THE TIME WERE NOT HOLDING A WIND CORRECTION ANGLE. I LEARNED SEVERAL THINGS: SNOW AT NIGHT WITH LIGHTS IS MUCH MORE DRAMATIC THAN RAIN OR IN THE DAY. I NEED TO GIVE A WIDER BERTH (MORE MARGIN) AROUND ATA'S TCA'S AND ARSA'S. I SHOULD MAKE A REQUEST FOR FLT FOLLOWING!

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

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