WRONG RWY APCH IN A NIGHT OP.

Date: 1993-03 · Aircraft: Medium Transport; High Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

WRONG RWY APCH IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative

WE WERE FLYING INTO LYNCHBURG; VA. THE WINDS AT 2000 WERE 290 AT 45 KTS. THERE ARE SEVERAL MOUNTAINS AROUND; SO IT WAS VERY BUMPY. ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 21 I WAS HOLDING ABOUT 20 DEGS OF CORRECTION AND ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE RWY ON A R DOWNWIND. I CALLED FOR THE GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS. AS I WAS TURNING BASE; MY FO SAID THE WINDS UP HERE SURE ARE STRONG AND IF YOU AREN'T CAREFUL; YOU'RE GOING TO OVERSHOOT. I ROLLED BACK WINGS LEVEL AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 21 AND; SURE ENOUGH; I WAS ABOUT TO OVERSHOOT THE RWY (17). I INCREASED THE BANK ANGLE AND SET UP FOR FINAL; NOT PAYING ATTN TO MY ACTUAL HDG. AS WE SET UP TO LAND THE CTL TWR TOLD ME TO GAR. I WAS LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO GIVE HIM A CALL AND HE SAID HE WAS SORRY HE HAD LEFT THE RWY LIGHTS ON 17-35 AFTER HE HAD THEM CHKED EARLIER; AND HAD HIS BACK TURNED TO RWY 17; AND WASN'T PAYING ATTN TO WHERE I WAS IN THE PATTERN. ALL OF THIS STILL DOESN'T RELIEVE ME OF MY RESPONSIBILITY OF MAKING THE MISTAKE AND LINING UP ON THE WRONG RWY. IF I HAD ONLY DONE WHAT I'VE BEEN TAUGHT SINCE MY INST INSTRUCTION AND SET THE VOR DME FOR RWY 21; AND TURN MY HDG BUG TO THE RWY HDG; THIS INCIDENT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. I USUALLY DO SET IN THE APCH; IF ONE IS AVAILABLE; FOR THE LNDG RWY; BUT I THOUGHT I KNEW THIS ARPT (THE RWY LIGHTS FOR 17-35 HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OFF AT NIGHT) EXCEPT FOR TONIGHT.

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