C172 PLT RPTR BECAME DISORIENTED WHEN ENTERING TFC PATTERN AND DIDN'T COMPLY WITH CLRNC. INADVERTENTLY FLEW OVER THE ACTIVE RWY WITH ACFT ON APCH.

Date: 1997-03 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|other-unspecified

Synopsis

C172 PLT RPTR BECAME DISORIENTED WHEN ENTERING TFC PATTERN AND DIDN'T COMPLY WITH CLRNC. INADVERTENTLY FLEW OVER THE ACTIVE RWY WITH ACFT ON APCH.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING INTO AZO ARPT WHILE THE SUN HAD SET LESS THAN 1 HR BEFORE. THE ARPT IS NOT ONE I HAVE REGULARLY FLOWN INTO; AND HAD NEVER FLOWN INTO AFTER SUNSET. I WAS FLYING INBOUND FROM THE N AND HAD SPOTTED THE ARPT BEACON ABOUT 15 MI OUT. THE APCH CTLR HAD ME FLY 160 DEG HDG TO SET ME UP FOR A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 35. ONCE I TOLD HIM I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT HE HANDED ME OFF TO THE CTL TWR AND SAID TO FLY DIRECT TO THE ARPT. I HAD AN ARPT DIAGRAM IN THE ACFT THAT I WAS STUDYING THE WHOLE WAY. AT THE 'X' MARKED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM I INCLUDED; I GOT DISORIENTED AND PROCEEDED TO FLY THE R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 5; THINKING THAT IT WAS THE CORRECT RWY. I ENDED UP XING OVER THE ACTIVE RWY WHERE THE TOUCHDOWN POINT IS. THE CTLR THEN ASKED WHAT HDG I WAS ON AND THEN SET ME UP FOR A L DOWNWIND. THE PROB IN THIS SIT WAS NOT ONLY DID I FLY AT PATTERN ALT DIRECTLY OVER THE ACTIVE RWY; BUT THAT THERE WERE 2 PLANES ON FINAL AND I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AFTER I WAS ALREADY OVER RWY 35. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS USED MY HDG INDICATOR TO DETERMINE MY DIRECTION. I ALSO COULD HAVE ASKED FOR VECTORS OR HAD THE RWY LIGHTING ENHANCED. I COULD HAVE ALSO MENTIONED TO APCH THAT I WAS FAIRLY NEW TO FLYING INTO THE ARPT.

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