AFTER BEING CLRED #1 FOR LNDG; AT NIGHT; AN ACR JET WAS GAINING ON RPTR SO APCH CTLR HAD RPTR PLANNED #2 BEHIND THE JET. BUT; WHEN ASKING RPTR IF HE HAD TFC AND TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION; HE THOUGHT HE SAW IT WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A STAR. JET PASSED OVER RPTR BECAUSE APCH CTLR SAW DEVELOPING SIT AND KEPT THE JET ABOVE RPTR.

Date: 1996-04 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer · Phase: approach

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|other-unspecified

Synopsis

AFTER BEING CLRED #1 FOR LNDG; AT NIGHT; AN ACR JET WAS GAINING ON RPTR SO APCH CTLR HAD RPTR PLANNED #2 BEHIND THE JET. BUT; WHEN ASKING RPTR IF HE HAD TFC AND TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION; HE THOUGHT HE SAW IT WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A STAR. JET PASSED OVER RPTR BECAUSE APCH CTLR SAW DEVELOPING SIT AND KEPT THE JET ABOVE RPTR.

Narrative

THE FOLLOWING OCCURRENCE; UPON REFLECTION; HAS CAUSED ME CONTINUED CONCERN. AFTER BEING CLRED #1 TO LAND; WITH A JET AS #2 TO FOLLOW; MY INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH CTL WERE REVERSED. THE JET WAS THEN #1 TO LAND; AND I WAS CHANGED TO #2 TO LAND; FOLLOWING THE JET; WHICH WAS FASTER. INSTEAD OF RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS FOR SEPARATION AT NIGHT; I WAS INSTRUCTED INSTEAD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION AND CAUTIONED ABOUT WAKE TURB. CHAIN OF EVENTS: APCHING THE COLUMBUS AREA AT NIGHT; AND AFTER TUNING IN TO ATIS; I EXPECTED TO RECEIVE AN ILS RWY 28L APCH. HOWEVER; CMH APCH CTL GAVE ME A HDG AND REDUCED ALT TO 2500 FT MSL. GETTING CLOSER; I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A VISUAL APCH. I WAS TOLD I WAS #1 TO LAND; AND A JET WOULD FOLLOW ME AS #2 TO LAND. CONTINUING MY HDG; MY INSTRUCTIONS WERE THEN REVERSED BECAUSE THE JET'S SPD WAS FASTER. THE JET WOULD NOT BE #1 TO LAND; AND I WOULD NOW BE #2 TO LAND; FOLLOWING THE JET. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE JET AND CAUTIONED ABOUT WAKE TURB. ASKED IF I HAD THE JET IN SIGHT; I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE; BELIEVING THAT I SAW THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE JET APCHING IN THE DARKNESS. I CONTINUED MY HDG. ONLY WHEN THE LIGHTS OF THE JET WERE SHINING DOWN ON ME DID I REALIZE THAT WHAT I HAD BEEN WATCHING IN THE DARK NIGHT WAS NOT THE APCHING JET; BUT RATHER A VERY BRIGHT PLANET OR STAR; AND THAT THE JET (RPTEDLY 500 FT ABOVE ME) WAS DSNDING RIGHT ON TOP OF ME. APCH CTL DIRECTED ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG L TURN. I COMPLIED; AND WAS LEFT ON THAT HDG UNTIL GIVEN RADAR VECTORS BACK TO THE FIELD. UPON LNDG; I SPOKE WITH THE ATC SUPVR AT CMH; WHO SAID; 'WE SAW THE PROB DEVELOPING AND HELD THE JET AT 3000 FT MSL UNTIL HE PASSED OVER YOU. WE'RE NOT FILING A RPT UNLESS THE PLT OF THE JET DOES.' CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS FOR SEVERAL DAYS. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; AND TO AVOID A RECURRENCE TO SOMEONE ELSE; I WOULD RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING: 1) WHEN A PLANE IS ALREADY IN A LNDG SEQUENCE POS; AND THAT LNDG SEQUENCE POS IS CHANGED -- AT NIGHT -- I BELIEVE ATC SHOULD PROVIDE A VECTOR TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE ACFT STAYS CLR OF TFC. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS PRUDENT TO EXPECT A PLT TO IDENT ANOTHER ACFT; AND BE ABLE TO JUDGE ITS DISTANCE AND SPD IN THE DARKNESS INSTEAD OF PROVIDING A VECTOR. 2) THE 180 DEG L TURN I WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE AFTER THE JET HAD PASSED OVER ME PLACED ME AT FURTHER RISK; AS I COULD HAVE FLOWN DIRECTLY OVER THE JET'S WINGTIP VORTICES.

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