PLT OF AN ATX CARGO PIPER PA60 AEROSTAR; WAS QUESTIONED AFTER LNDG BY AN FAA INSPECTOR CONDUCTING A RAMP CHK; ABOUT A LOW TURN TO FINAL; NOT TURNING ON LNDG LIGHT AND A RELATIVE FAST TAXI SPD. THE FAA INSPECTOR CHKED WITH TWR PERSONNEL TO CONFIRM THAT THEY HAD REQUESTED RPTR TO KEEP HIS PATTERN AND TURN IN 'CLOSE.'

1997-10 · NASA ASRS report 383499

Date: 1997-10 · Aircraft: PA-60 600 Aerostar

Anomalies: other-unspecified|other-no-specific-anomaly-occurred

Synopsis

PLT OF AN ATX CARGO PIPER PA60 AEROSTAR; WAS QUESTIONED AFTER LNDG BY AN FAA INSPECTOR CONDUCTING A RAMP CHK; ABOUT A LOW TURN TO FINAL; NOT TURNING ON LNDG LIGHT AND A RELATIVE FAST TAXI SPD. THE FAA INSPECTOR CHKED WITH TWR PERSONNEL TO CONFIRM THAT THEY HAD REQUESTED RPTR TO KEEP HIS PATTERN AND TURN IN 'CLOSE.'

Narrative

WHILE APCHING ALB; APCH ASKED ME TO MAKE A SHORT APCH. THIS WAS DUE TO AN ACFT LNDG ON AN INTERSECTING RWY; MY SEQUENCE WAS #1. WHEN I GOT CLOSER I WAS HANDED OFF TO TWR AND CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 1; THE WINDS WERE RPTED CALM. IN MY DSCNT FROM 4000 FT MSL; I WAS HOLDING 200 KTS WHILE SLOWLY REDUCING PWR. UPON REACHING 2000 FT MSL; 4 MI W OF ALB; I LEVELED OFF AND ALLOWED THE AIRSPD TO REDUCE TO 160 KTS. AT THAT POINT I SET THE FLAPS TO APCH; ALLOWING THE AIRSPD TO DROP TO 140 KTS AND THEN EXTENDED THE GEAR AND SET FULL FLAPS. AT THIS POINT I WAS 1 MI FROM THE MM FOR RWY 1; HDG 100 DEGS. AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME I STARTED A L TURN AT 30 DEGS BANK TO TURN ONTO THE RWY CTRLINE. WHILE MAKING THE TURN I HEARD; VERY FAINTLY; THE TONE OF THE MM; MEANING THAT I WAS JUST INSIDE A .4 MI FINAL. WHILE PASSING A HDG OF 30 DEGS I NOTICED THE PULSATING VISUAL APCH SLOPE INDICATOR WAS STEADY WHITE AND THE AIRSPD WAS PASSING 100 KTS AND SLOWING. WHEN I ROLLED OUT I CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE GS DOWN WHILE REDUCING AIRSPD ALL THE WAY TO TOUCHDOWN. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL AND WITHIN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. I USED AERODYNAMIC BRAKING DOWN TO 60 KTS AND THEN SLOWED TO TAXI SPD USING BRAKES AND MADE THE TXWY D TURNOFF. UPON REACHING THE FBO RAMP; AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR STARTED ASKING ME QUESTIONS. HE ASKED MY REASONS FOR 'MAKING SUCH A CLOSE AND LOW APCH.' I TOLD INSPECTOR THAT THE TWR ASKED ME TO KEEP IT IN CLOSE. HE TOLD ME THAT A LOW ALT TURN TO FINAL IS NOT SAFE; IN HIS OPINION. I ACCEPTED THAT FOR WHAT IT WAS WORTH; BUT IN MY OPINION THERE WAS NOTHING UNSAFE WITH MY APCH. FROM THE GND; ACFT LOOK A LOT LOWER AND CLOSER AND THINGS SEEM MORE DRAMATIC THAN WHAT THEY REALLY ARE. INSPECTOR ALSO ASKED ME WHY I DIDN'T USE MY LNDG LIGHT ON FINAL; AND I EXPLAINED THAT IN SOME SITS IT IS EASIER TO SEE WITHOUT THE BEAM OF LIGHT THAT'S VISIBLE WHEN IT IS HAZY OR FOGGY. FINALLY HE ASKED WHY I TAXIED FAST; AND I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T THINK I WAS FAST. THE PWR WAS BACK TO IDLE AND I HAD JUST FINISHED 2 TURNS AND WENT THROUGH SOME CONSTRUCTION AREAS; SO I KNOW MY SPD WAS APPROPRIATE. AFTER COPYING DOWN MY LICENSE INFO; MEDICAL INFO; AND PLANE REGISTRATION; INSPECTOR WENT INTO THE FBO. AT THIS POINT; INSPECTOR CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED IF THEY DID IN FACT ASK ME TO MAKE A CLOSE PATTERN. AFTER THE TWR CTLR TOLD INSPECTOR THAT I WAS ASKED TO MAKE A CLOSE PATTERN; INSPECTOR SAID THAT HE WAS DONE AND HE WENT ON WITH HIS RAMP INSPECTIONS AT ALB; AND I RETURNED TO MY ACFT AND TOOK OFF FOR UTICA; NY.

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

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