UNAUTH LNDG -- MIL PLT LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC.
Synopsis
UNAUTH LNDG -- MIL PLT LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC.
Narrative
WX ON DEP FROM ADQ WAS RPTED VFR; BUT CEILING AND VISIBILITY IN THE DEP AND APCH CORRIDOR WAS MARGINAL -- APPROX 1000 FT AND 2 MI. FLT TO EILSON WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHILE TRANSFERRING THE HELI CREWS AT EILSON WITH ENGS RUNNING; I SWAPPED SEATS WITH THE COPLT SO THAT I COULD FLY THE RETURN LEG FROM THE L SEAT. DEP FROM EILSON AND CRUISE BACK TO VICINITY OF KODIAK WAS UNEVENTFUL. ABOUT 5 NM N OF THE ARC FOR THE ILS/DME 2 SPECIAL APCH TO ADQ; ZAN ADVISED THAT WE WERE NOT YET CLR FOR THE APCH BECAUSE KODIAK TWR WAS HANDLING A SPECIAL VFR ARR. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING ON THE ARC; THOUGH; WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND BEGAN DSCNT AND CONFIGN. BECAUSE I PLAN TO RETIRE FROM THE SVC IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO PURSUE AN AIRLINE CAREER; I'M TRYING TO RESHAPE MY HABIT PATTERNS TO CIVILIAN OPERATING PRACTICES; AND SO I BRIEFED THE CREW THAT WE WOULD PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND COMPLETE THE PRE-LNDG CHKLIST AT THE FINAL APCH FIX. NORMAL CTR OF GRAVITY PRACTICE IS TO HAVE ALL CHKLISTS COMPLETED IN THE VICINITY OF THE APCH GATE. THE COPLT (PNF) CALLED TWR WHEN WE DEPARTED THE ARC. TWR ASKED HIM TO RPT THE FINAL APCH FIX SO THAT THE LIGHTS COULD BE ON FULL; AND THE COPLT ACKNOWLEDGED. AT FINAL APCH FIX I CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN AND CHKLIST. I HAD MY HANDS FULL FLYING THE ILS BECAUSE OF WIND ON FINAL ON THE TAIL AT 25 KTS AND A 10 KT XWIND AT THE FIELD. WE BROKE OUT AT MINIMUMS OF 300 FT CEILING; VISIBILITY APPROX 1 1/2 SM. I COULD BARELY SEE THE RWY BECAUSE THE LIGHTS WEREN'T ON. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING ABOUT THIS AT THE TIME. WE COMPLETED THE LNDG AND WERE CLRED TO TAXI BACK TO BASE PARKING. WHEN I ARRIVED AT BASE OPS; I WAS ASKED BY THE DUTY OFFICER TO CALL THE TWR. THE TWR OPERATOR STATED THAT WE HAD LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC. I WAS QUITE SURPRISED; BUT ON REFLECTION DON'T REMEMBER HEARING THE COPLT MAKE THE FINAL APCH FIX CALL. I WAS TASK SATURATED WITH FLYING AND DIDN'T BACK HIM UP ON COMS DUTIES. I DEBRIEFED THE COPLT; NAVIGATOR; AND RADIO OPERATOR (ANY OF WHOM COULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS OMISSION) ON THIS INCIDENT AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT AND BACKING EACH OTHER UP COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE. I THINK THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A CHANGE TO THE CREW'S NORMAL ROUTINE OF GETTING THE ACFT FULLY CONFIGURED AND ALL CHKLISTS COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE ARR AT THE APCH GATE. BUSY WITH THE GEAR AND CHKLIST AT THE FINAL APCH FIX; THE COPLT FORGOT THE CALL. BUSY WITH THE FLYING; I DIDN'T CATCH THE OMISSION. I'M GOING BACK TO THE UNOFFICIAL ROUTINE OF GETTING THE ACFT CONFIGURED AND HAVING ALL CHKLISTS DONE WELL PRIOR TO THE FINAL APCH FIX. IN THIS WAY I'LL HAVE MORE ATTN LEFT TO BACK UP THE CREW BEFORE BECOMING TASK SATURATED WITH A DIFFICULT INST APCH PROC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR WAS FLYING A UNITED STATES COAST GUARD HC130-H ON A SEARCH SUPPORT MISSION WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. HE SAID THAT THE TROUBLE BEGAN WHEN HE CHANGED FROM THE STANDARD PROCS TO A PRACTICE THAT HE HAD SEEN AN ACR FLC USE IN ORDER TO 'TRY IT OUT' SO HE WOULD BE READY FOR AN AIRLINE CAREER WHEN HE RETIRED. LATER; AFTER TALKING THE EVENT OVER WITH HIS CREW AND THE TWR CTLR AND THE STANDARDS DEPT; HE DECIDED THAT HE WOULD IN THE FUTURE USE STANDARD PROCS WHEREVER OR WHATEVER THEY WERE AT THE CURRENT ORGANIZATION.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.