A CPR PIC OVERSHOOTS HIS ASSIGNED RWY FOR A VISUAL APCH WHEN FOLLOWING THE WRONG TFC ISSUED BY SCT CTLR 5 MI N OF SNA; CA.

Date: 2001-03 · Aircraft: Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng · Phase: descent

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-flc-distr-disorientation

Synopsis

A CPR PIC OVERSHOOTS HIS ASSIGNED RWY FOR A VISUAL APCH WHEN FOLLOWING THE WRONG TFC ISSUED BY SCT CTLR 5 MI N OF SNA; CA.

Narrative

WHILE BEING RADAR VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R SNA; WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT TO BE VECTORED ACROSS FINAL. THE ATIS RPTED 9 MI VISIBILITY; BUT AS WE CROSSED FINAL AT 3000 FT MSL WE COULD BARELY MAKE OUT THE RWY ONLY 4 MI AWAY. CLRLY AN OCEAN MIST WAS BLOWING IN. THIS; COUPLED WITH A SETTING SUN; REDUCED INFLT VISIBILITY. WHILE TURNING AN EXTENDED R BASE WE WERE TOLD TO RPT THE ARPT AND A BRASILIA IN SIGHT. I WAS HAND FLYING AND DUE TO THE BANK ANGLE UNABLE TO SEE EITHER. THE FO RPTED THE BRASILIA IN SIGHT AND WE WERE CLRED TO FOLLOW THE BRASILIA TO RWY 19R. AS THE TURN TO FINAL PROGRESSED; I WAS STILL UNABLE TO SEE THE ARPT; BUT THE FO POINTED OUT THE TFC WE WERE FOLLOWING AND THE PICTURE ON THE NAV DISPLAY MADE SENSE. DSNDING BELOW 2500 FT MSL AND IN THE LATE STAGES OF THE FINAL TURN (AND STILL FOLLOWING OUR TFC) WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO 'CLB AND TURN R; 4000 FT AND HDG 280 DEGS.' AT ONCE WE RESPONDED. I DID SEE A BRASILIA OUT THE L WINDOW BELOW OUR ACFT AND APPROX 3/4 MI DISTANT. (NO TCASII ALERT OR WARNING.) AFTER THE BREAKOUT; SOCAL APCH SAID 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE FOLLOWING; BUT IT WASN'T THE BRASILIA.' SOCAL TRIED TO CLR US FOR ANOTHER VISUAL APCH; BUT WE DECLINED DUE TO THE VISIBILITY AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE OM FOR THE ILS TO RWY 19R. THE ONLY THING I CAN FIGURE IS THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME OPTICAL ILLUSION WITH THE ACFT WE FOLLOWED. NOW; I DON'T THINK IT WAS EVEN GOING TO SNA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) WE FLY REGULARLY INTO CLE WHERE THE BRASILIAS ARE IN LIGHT; BRIGHT COLORS; AND THE ACFT WE WERE FOLLOWING WAS BRIGHT. THE REAL TARGET WAS IN DARKER COLORS. 2) REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO OCEAN MIST AND SUN ANGLE ALLOWED A MISIDENT. 3) THE BANK ANGLE ALLOWED ONLY 1 PLT TO IDENT THE TFC. 4) BUSY TFC ENVIRONMENT ALLOWED US TO IDENT AND FOLLOW THE WRONG ACFT.

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