A B376 PLT ENTERS MDT CLASS D AIRSPACE WHILE ATTEMPTING AN APCH TO CXY'S RWY 30. NO CONFLICTS.

Date: 1997-04 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 2 Eng; Retractable Gear · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

A B376 PLT ENTERS MDT CLASS D AIRSPACE WHILE ATTEMPTING AN APCH TO CXY'S RWY 30. NO CONFLICTS.

Narrative

ON APR/WED/97; I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM FCI TO CXY. CONDITIONS WERE VFR WITH SOME HAZE. N OF BALTIMORE; HARRISBURG APCH ASKED IF I HAD GPS OR LORAN ABOARD. I DID NOT. APCH BEGAN TO VECTOR ME OFF THE AIRWAYS DIRECT TO CXY ON A HDG OF 010 DEGS. APCH GAVE ME A FEW POS RPTS. AS I HAD NEVER BEEN TO CXY; I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE ARPT RELATIVE TO ANY LANDMARKS AND HAD DIFFICULTY IDENTING THE ARPT. THE LAST ASSISTANCE I RECEIVED FROM APCH WAS THAT THE ARPT WAS AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI. VISIBILITY WAS AT LEAST 10 MI WITH SOME HAZE AT 3000 FT. I HAD BEEN CLRED DOWN TO 2000 FT. WHEN I BELIEVED I HAD THE ARPT IDENTED; APCH HANDED ME OFF TO TWR. TWR CLRED ME TO LAND #2 ON RWY 30 BEHIND CESSNA TFC. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT HAVE THE TFC OR RWY 30 IN SIGHT. I WAS STILL ON A HDG OF 010 DEGS SE OF ARPT. I CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR RWY 30. I BEGAN TO WONDER IF I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT AS I ONLY HAD 1 LONG RWY IN SIGHT AND WAS NOT ABLE TO IDENT THE SECOND RWY WHICH WAS RWY 30. I KNEW HARRISBURG INTL WAS NEARBY WITH ONLY 1 RWY. I QUESTIONED TWR AND THEY ASSURED ME THEY HAD ME IN SIGHT AND THAT I WAS AT THE RIGHT ARPT. I WAS THEN TOLD TO FLY A HDG OF 300 DEGS AND THAT THERE WAS TFC. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT IF I DID NOT SEE THE TFC; I WAS TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY. I TURNED L TO A HDG OF APPROX 270 DEGS. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN R 180 DEGS AND ENTER A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30. THAT WAS THE LAST CLRNC I WAS GIVEN. I HEARD THE TWR CTLR TALKING TO OTHER TFC. I CONTINUED TO FLY A DOWNWIND; WAITING FOR A FURTHER CLRNC TO LAND. I HAD EXTENDED WELL PAST A NORMAL BASE LEG; STILL WITH NO FURTHER CLRNC. I BEGAN TO BECOME CONCERNED THAT THE CTLR FORGOT ABOUT ME AND WAS READY TO CALL HIM WHEN HE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME I HAD JUST HAD AN AIRSPACE INCURSION AT HARRISBURG INTL. THE INCURSION WAS UNINTENTIONAL. HE ASKED WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE AND I TOLD HIM I INTENDED TO LAND AT CXY; BUT HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY FURTHER CLRNC AFTER THE ASSIGNED DOWNWIND. AT THAT POINT HE CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 26 AND TOLD ME TO CALL HIM ON THE GND. THE CONVERSATION WAS PROFESSIONAL. I EXPLAINED THAT I DID NOT BELIEVE I HAD RECEIVED A CLRNC TO LAND AND WAS GETTING READY TO QUESTION HIM; WHEN HE CALLED ME ABOUT THE AIRSPACE INCURSION. THE CTLR DID STATE THAT HE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. I WAS VERY CONCERNED WITH WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND APOLOGIZED FOR ANY PROBS I MIGHT HAVE CAUSED. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE NOT ANY TFC CONFLICTS INVOLVED IN THE INCURSION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS CASE: ACCEPTING A CLRNC TO LAND BEFORE I ACTUALLY HAD THE PROPER RWY IN SIGHT; ASSUMING I WOULD SEE IT AS I GOT CLOSER. DELAY IN CALLING THE TWR FOR FURTHER CLRNC AFTER ESTABLISHED ON A DOWNWIND. UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA AND UNAWARE THAT I HAD FLOWN INTO OTHER CTLED AIRSPACE. MY VISUAL DISTANCE ESTIMATED FROM CXY WAS APPROX 2-3 MI ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND WHEN THE CTLR CALLED ME.

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