TURBOPROP ACR ACCEPTS APCH CLRNC. TA WITH TFC ONLY OBSERVED ON TCASII; BUT WAS THE WRONG ACFT; WHILE DSNDING INTO CMI.
Synopsis
TURBOPROP ACR ACCEPTS APCH CLRNC. TA WITH TFC ONLY OBSERVED ON TCASII; BUT WAS THE WRONG ACFT; WHILE DSNDING INTO CMI.
Narrative
THIS TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF MISCOM BTWN MYSELF; MY FO; AND THE CMI TWR. ON DSCNT INTO CMI; WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT APPROX 10 NM NE OF THE FIELD. IT WAS THEN THAT THE TWR ISSUED US A TA; A VFR TARGET JUST N OF THE FIELD. I HAD THE TFC ON TCASII AND POINTED HIM OUT TO MY FO; WHO THEN CALLED TFC IN SIGHT. I NEVER HAD A VISUAL ON THE TFC; ONLY ON TCASII. INSTEAD OF ADVISING TWR THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A VISUAL ON THE TFC; I ACCEPTED THE VISUAL APCH CLRNC AND TURNED 30 DEGS R TO JOIN A 5 MI FINAL FOR RWY 22. I ASSUMED I WOULD HAVE NO PROB PICKING UP THE TFC; GIVEN THE EXCELLENT VISIBILITY AND OUR PROX TO THE TFC (APPROX 10 NM). THIS WAS THE FIRST BROKEN LINK IN THE CHAIN OF EVENTS. AS WE CONTINUED ON ABOUT A 5 NM BASE LEG; WE WERE STILL LOOKING FOR THE TFC; WHO APPEARED TO BE BECOMING MORE OF A CONFLICT; THE TARGET WAS NOW ABOUT 5 NM OFF OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND LESS THAN 500 FT BELOW WITH REGARD TO ALT. I BEGAN TO CONFIGURE FOR LNDG; FLAPS AND GEAR DOWN; AND CALLED FOR THE FINAL CHKLIST. AT THIS TIME WE WERE TURNING A 5 NM FINAL FOR RWY 22; AND THE TFC WAS LESS THAN 4 MI AND 12 O'CLOCK POS; 300 FT BELOW OUR ALT; AND WE STILL HAD NOT GOT A VISUAL ON THE TFC. THE FO WAS RUNNING THE FINAL CHKLIST; ASKING ME TO CONFIRM CHKLIST ITEMS. IT WAS THEN THAT WE RECEIVED A TA FROM THE TCASII. I ASKED THE FO TO HELP LOCATE THE TFC; WHICH WAS NOW 12 O'CLOCK; 3 MI; AND 300 FT BELOW OUR ALT -- A DEFINITE CONFLICT. UNABLE TO ASK FOR DEV FROM THE TWR DUE TO FREQ SATURATION; I CALLED FOR A GAR AND BEGAN A R CLBING 270 DEG TURN TO REINTERCEPT FINAL. TWR IMMEDIATELY ASKED US OUR INTENTIONS; THE FO REPLIED THAT WE WERE MAKING A CLBING R 270 DEG TURN TO REJOIN FINAL; BUT DID NOT EXPLAIN WHY. I ASKED HIM TO TELL THE TWR THAT IT WAS DUE TO US RECEIVING A TCASII TA. HE THEN EXPLAINED TO THEM AND THEY TOLD US TO TURN BACK L AND REJOIN FINAL; AND THAT THE TFC WAS NO FACTOR; AND TO PLEASE GIVE THEM A TELEPHONE CALL ONCE ON THE GND. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND I CONTACTED THE TWR PERSONNEL. THEY WANTED MY NAME AND ACFT N-NUMBER. I THEN LEARNED THAT THE TFC WE WERE LOOKING FOR WAS ACTUALLY ON A LOW APCH TO RWY 4 AT CMI; OVERFLYING THE FIELD AND CONTINUING N TO AN ARPT 8 MI N OF CMI WHICH WAS A DIRECT CONFLICT WITH US. THE TWR SAID THAT THE TFC WAS NOT A CONFLICT WHEN THEY FIRST TOLD US ABOUT IT; BUT BECAUSE WE TURNED 30 DEGS R TO SET UP ON A 5 MI FINAL; IT THEN BECAME A CONFLICT FOR US. IT IS IN OUR OPS MANUAL THAT WE ARE ESTABLISHED ON FINAL APPROX 5 MI OUT WITH PROPER CONFIGN AND AIRSPD; ETC. I THINK THAT THE LACK OF INFO FROM MCI TWR ABOUT THE DIRECTION AND INTENTIONS OF THE TFC WAS THE OTHER LINK IN THE CHAIN OF EVENTS. THIS SIT WAS A DISTR TO US WHEN WE NEEDED TO BE FOCUSING ON FLYING THE ACFT; AND COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY BEEN AVOIDED HAD I NOT ASSUMED I WOULD GET A VISUAL ON THE TFC; AND IF CMI TWR HAD GIVEN US ALL THE INFO WITH RESPECT TO OUR TFC. NO ACTIONS WERE TAKEN TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE. NO DEVS OCCURRED OTHER THAN MANEUVERING TO AVOID CONFLICT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.