MLG SIGHTS WRONG TFC TO FOLLOW. ON BASE LEG TURN SIGHTS CORRECT TFC AT CLOSE PROX. EVASIVE ACTION.

Date: 1992-06 · Aircraft: Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng · Phase: approach

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|other-unspecified

Synopsis

MLG SIGHTS WRONG TFC TO FOLLOW. ON BASE LEG TURN SIGHTS CORRECT TFC AT CLOSE PROX. EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative

ON VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27 AT SAN. AFTER HAVING ADVISED APCH CTL THAT I HAD 'IN SIGHT' THE TFC HE POINTED OUT TO ME; AND WHICH I WAS TO FOLLOW TO THE ARPT ON A VISUAL APCH; WHILE TURNING TO BASE LEG; I REALIZED THAT I WAS INITIALLY LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT ACFT THAN THE ONE APCH CTL HAD IN MIND; AS THE 'REAL ONE' WAS ON MY L AND WOULD BE TOO CLOSE IF I MAINTAINED MY PLANNED COURSE OF FLT AND COURSE OF ACTION. SO; I CONTINUED A R TURN TO MAKE A 360 DEG AND FOLLOW THE R ACFT (ON MY L). AT THE SAME TIME AS I WAS TURNING AWAY FROM HIM; APCH CTL ADVISED ME OF THE TFC ON MY L AND ADDED HIS INSTRUCTION FOR A R 360 DEG TURN FOR RESEQUENCING. NO DANGER OF COLLISION EXISTED DUE TO THE TIMELY TURN AWAY FROM THE R TFC; WHICH I HAD ORIGINALLY MISSED. BUT IT WAS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. ON MY PART; THE 'TCASII' SYS WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN RECOGNIZING THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND HAD ISSUED A 'TA.' (NO RA WAS ISSUED BY MAY TCASII. ONLY A TA). AT FIRST; I HATED THE TCASII. THIS HAS MADE A BELIEVER OUT OF ME. IT'S POTENTIAL IS INVALUABLE.

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