SMA ON IFR APCH IN IMC HAS PROBLEM WITH RADIO SWITCHING; DISTR FROM PAX. OFF HDG; OFF ALT; TEMP NORAD. GETS IT TOGETHER; LANDS.

1992-05 · NASA ASRS report 210804

Date: 1992-05 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-excursion-from-assigned-altitude|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

SMA ON IFR APCH IN IMC HAS PROBLEM WITH RADIO SWITCHING; DISTR FROM PAX. OFF HDG; OFF ALT; TEMP NORAD. GETS IT TOGETHER; LANDS.

Narrative

I WAS ON IFR FLT TO LUK. I WAS TRANSPORTING AN 11 YR OLD BURN PATIENT AND HER MOTHER AND A MEMBER OF THE SHRINERS TO THE SHRINER'S HOSPITAL IN CINCINNATI FOR TREATMENT. THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL APPROX 15 OR 20 MI FROM LUK. I WAS ON V-128 WHEN CINCINNATI APCH VECTORED ME TO A 270 DEG HDG. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND TURNED TO 270 DEGS. I SWITCHED MY #1 NAV RADIO TO WHAT I BELIEVED WAS THE LUK LOC DME BACK COURSE FOR RWY 2R AT LUK. I FLEW ON MY ASSIGNED HDG OF 270 DEGS FOR APPROX 5 MIN. I HEARD NO COM WITH ATC. I CHKED MY RADIO PANEL AND NOTICED THAT I HAD SOMEHOW INADVERTENTLY CHANGED TO MY #1 RADIO. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED BACK TO MY #2 RADIO. I REGAINED CONTACT WITH CINCINNATI APCH. APCH ALSO ADVISED ME THAT I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE LOC AND TO TURN L TO 080 DEGS TO RE-INTERCEPT LOC. I ACKNOWLEDGED L TURN TO 080 DEGS THEN 060 DEGS THEN 040 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. AT THIS TIME; I NOTICED THAT I HAD BOTH A NAV FLAG AND GS FLAG ON MY #1 NAV RADIO. I IMMEDIATELY PUT IN MY #2 NAV TO LOC. APCH ADVISED ME TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON LOC. AT THIS TIME; I BELIEVE I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT LUK TWR. I CONTACTED LUK TWR ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS ON LOC BACK COURSE RWY 2R. I WAS ADVISED TO RPT DEFTS INBOUND. I ALSO BELIEVE IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT TWR ADVISED ME THAT; IN CASE OF RADIO FAILURE; EXPECT LIGHT GUN FROM TWR. I WAS INBOUND AND ESTABLISHED ON LOC DSNDING TO 2000 FT. THAT WAS THE MIN ALT UNTIL DEFTS INTXN. WHILE I WAS DSNDING TO 2000 FT; MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED WHEN I WAS ADVISED THAT THE CHILD WAS BECOMING ILL AND WAS STARTING TO THROW UP. WHILE I WAS TRYING TO HELP MY PAX; I WAS ADVISED BY THE TWR THAT I WAS SHOWING 1500 FT ON MY ALTIMETER AND TO CLB BACK UP TO 2000 FT. I REGAINED ALT AND ATTEMPTED TO ALSO RE-ESTABLISH MYSELF ON THE LOC. WHILE MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM FLYING THE AIRPLANE; I HAD GOTTEN 4 DOTS R OF COURSE. I GOT TO DEFTS INTXN; RPTED INBOUND; DSNDED TO 1240 FT MDA. FLEW AT THIS ALT WHILE TRYING TO GET BACK ON LOC. TWR KEPT ADVISING ME THAT ARPT WAS 12 O'CLOCK 3 MI; THEN 1 MI. I STILL HAD NEGATIVE CONTACT. I REMAINED 4 DOTS OFF COURSE. TWR ASKED ME ONCE MORE IF I HAD ARPT. STATED NO; AT WHICH TIME; TWR ADVISED ME TO CLB TO 2500 FT. AT THIS TIME; I ALSO ADVISED TWR THAT I HAD ARPT IN SIGHT; TWR THEN CLRED ME TO LAND. LNDG WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY LOSS OF COM WITH ATC STARTED A CHAIN OF EVENTS WHICH DISTRACTED MY ATTN FROM MY PRIMARY DUTY OF FLYING THE AIRPLANE. MY CONCERN FOR THE CHILD'S WELL-BEING AND THE FACT THAT SHE WAS A BURN PATIENT CAUSED ME TO LOOK AWAY WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS DSNDING; THEN THE FACT THAT I DSNDED BELOW ALT ALSO DISTRACTED ME EVEN MORE. MY DSCNT BELOW INITIAL APCH ALT CAUSED ME TO FOCUS ON ALT DISTRACTING MY ATTN FROM MAINTAINING A COURSE ON THE LOC. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE MORE CAREFUL AND DELEGATE SOMEONE TO TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN I FLY SO I MAY DEVOTE MY FULL ATTN TO FLYING THE ACFT.

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

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