SMA PLT VECTORED FOR VISUAL APCH LOSES SIGHT OF PRECEDING TFC; LOSES RADIO CONTACT AFTER ATTEMPT TO AFFECT FREQ CHANGE TO TWR; LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC ON WRONG RWY.

Date: 1992-05 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-landing-without-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMA PLT VECTORED FOR VISUAL APCH LOSES SIGHT OF PRECEDING TFC; LOSES RADIO CONTACT AFTER ATTEMPT TO AFFECT FREQ CHANGE TO TWR; LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC ON WRONG RWY.

Narrative

ON MAY/WED/92 I WAS ON AN IFR FLT FROM CHICAGO-MEIGS TO NASHVILLE INTL. BEFORE REACHING BOWLING GREEN ATC DIRECTED THAT I PROCEED DIRECT NASHVILLE AND CROSS 40 DME AT 4000. I COMPLIED. I WAS NEXT TOLD TO HEAD 220 DEGS AND TO EXPECT RWY 2L. NEXT I WAS TOLD TO HEAD 180 DEGS AND CHANGE EXPECTED RWY TO 2R. I WAS NEXT TOLD TO HEAD 140 DEGS TO ALLOW FOR TKOF TFC. I WAS NEXT TOLD TO EXPECT 2C. I WAS TURNED BACK W AND TOLD TO GO BTWN 2 JETS 1 HDG FOR 2L AND 1 HDG FOR 2R. I WAS TOLD TO KEEP THE ONE GOING TO 2L IN SIGHT. I RPTED THAT I HAD LOST CONTACT (DUE TO HAZE AND INTERMITTENT GLARE FROM W). BEFORE GOT TO FINAL FOR 2C TOLD TO HEAD 360 DEGS WHICH PUT ME IN LINE TO LAND 2R -- NOT POSSIBLE TO LAND EITHER 2C OR 2L WITHOUT ANOTHER HDG. ABOUT 2 MI OUT TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. AT THIS POINT I LOST COMS. I TRIED TO GO BACK TO APCH AND THEN AGAIN BACK TO TWR; THEN BACK TO APCH AND AGAIN BACK TO TWR. I WAS UNABLE TO XMIT OR RECEIVE. REMOVED HEAD PHONE AND TRIED HAND HELD MIKE AND SPEAKERS; BUT UNABLE TO RECEIVE OR XMIT. STARTED TO REACH FOR HANDHELD BUT DECIDED NO TIME. LOOKED FOR LIGHT SIGNAL BUT WITH GLARE AND PRACTICALLY NO TIME TO CONFIGURE PLANE; DO PRE-LNDG CHKLIST; THINK ABOUT WAKE TURB FROM 2 JETS; COULD NOT SPEND LOT OF TIME CONCENTRATING ON TWR THAT WAS SOMEWHAT TO REAR ON L. DID NOT SEE A RED SIGNAL -- WASN'T SURE ABOUT GREEN BUT ASSUMED I HAD IT SINCE I WAS NOW ON HALF MI FINAL; BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I BELIEVED IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY I HAD AN EMER SITUATION FOR THESE REASONS: I WAS IN AN ARSA WITH HVY EARLY EVENING TFC; I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WAKE TURB; I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGER AND DISTR TO EVERYONE WITH A CLB OUT TO ABOVE PATTERN ALT TO CONFIRM CLRNC TO LAND. I WOULD BE OPERATING WITHOUT COMS IN AN ARSA WITH HAZE AND INTERMITTENT SUNLIGHT; BY THE TIME I REALIZED I COULD NOT REESTABLISH COMS I WAS NEARING SHORT FINAL; I DID NOT THINK IT SAFE TO REACH FOR AND SET 7700 CODE WITH TRANSPONDER ON FAR R OF PANEL WHILE ON SHORT FINAL; I KNEW THERE WAS NO ACFT CLOSE BEHIND ME FOR 2R AND I WAS SURE THE TWR KNEW MY PREDICAMENT SINCE APCH HAD HANDED ME OFF TO TWR. I LOOKED QUICKLY AGAIN FOR LIGHT SIGNAL; NOT SURE OF GREEN BUT SAW NO RED. I LANDED AND PULLED OFF RWY AND STOPPED. I STILL HAD NO COM BUT SET UP HANDHELD FOR GND CTL. UNABLE TO REACH THEM BUT WAS ABLE TO HEAR GND TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT AND THEN HEARD CALL TO ME TO TURN OFF BEACON IF I HEARD. I DID SO AND FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS WITH USE OF BEACON TO RAMP. I WAS ASKED TO CALL TWR. I COMPLIED AND MR. X ANSWERED. HE WAS FRIENDLY AND ASKED ME IF I SAW GREEN LIGHT BEFORE I LANDED. I SAID I LOOKED FOR IT BUT NOT SURE. HE SAID YOU UNDERSTAND YOU SHOULD NOT LAND WITHOUT GREEN. I SAID I UNDERSTOOD BUT THAT I HAD NO TIME AND WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER DUE TO CONCERN ABOUT WAKE TURB; ETC. -- BEFORE I COULD EXPLAIN FURTHER HE SAID 'SAY YOU SAW THE GREEN AND YOU'RE CLRED TO LAND.' I SAID 'I THINK SO BUT BEFORE I COULD QUALIFY HE SAID 'JUST SAY YOU SAW THE GREEN' -- BASED ON NOT SEEING A RED SIGNAL AND LIGHT CONDITIONS I SAID OK I SAW THE GREEN -- BUT SINCE I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS RELEVANT DUE TO BEING ON SHORT FINAL I WANTED TO EXPLAIN FURTHER -- HE SAID OK GET THE RADIOS FIXED AND HAVE A GOOD FLT HOME. I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT HE DIDN'T CONSIDER THE MATTER TO BE OF ANY FURTHER IMPORTANCE AND THAT HE THOUGHT I REALLY HAD LITTLE CHOICE BUT TO LAND. I WAS UPSET ABOUT THE INCIDENT BECAUSE I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A VERY GOOD PLT. I HAVE HAD NO VIOLATIONS AND ATTEND A LOT OF SAFETY SEMINARS. I STAY CURRENT AND TAKE REGULAR RECURRENT TRAINING. I WOULD NEVER DELIBERATELY MISLEAD ANYONE. ON REFLECTION LATER I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED THAT I HAD THE RIGHT TO LAND UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES ON THE BASIS OF WHAT I REASONABLY REGARDED AS AN EMER DUE TO ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND SHOULD NOT HAVE CONCLUDED THE DISCUSSION OF THE LIGHT SIGNALS WITHOUT MAKING IT CLR THAT UNDER THE VISIBILITY CONDITIONS AND TIME CONSTRAINTS I WAS ON MR. X'S INSISTENCE RELYING LARGELY ON NOT PICKING UP A RED SIGNAL ALTHOUGHI CAN'T SAY I WAS BEING ABSOLUTELY SURE OF THE GREEN SIGNAL. I STILL BELIEVE THAT UNDER THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES THE ONLY SENSIBLE THING TO DO AT THE TIME WAS TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND STAY OUT OF HVY ARSA TFC WITH NO COMS. I BELIEVE THAT IN THE CASE OF LOST COMS ON FINAL THE RULES SHOULD ALLOW A PLT TO USE DISCRETION TO CONTINUE TO LAND IF CLRLY SAFE TO DO SO ESPECIALLY IF IN AN ARSA OR TCA AND WITH COMPLEX ACFT INVOLVED AND WHERE CLBOUT IN HIGH DENSITY TFC COULD PRESENT A HAZARD.

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