C560 LNDG LGB. MISSED APCH DUE TO NORAD A320 IN PATTERN.

Date: 2003-02 · Aircraft: Citation V/Ultra/Encore (C560)

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|other-circling-apch-criterion

Synopsis

C560 LNDG LGB. MISSED APCH DUE TO NORAD A320 IN PATTERN.

Narrative

RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS FOR ILS RWY 30 APCH INTO LGB ARPT AT APPROX XA00 LCL TIME. APPROX 2 MI FROM GS INTERCEPT (FAF); WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE LGB TWR. AFTER CHKING IN WITH TWR; ACR X CHKED IN AND SAID THEY NEEDED THE CIRCLING APCH. A FEW SECONDS LATER; TWR CANCELLED OUR APCH CLRNC AND GAVE US 'MAINTAIN 1600 FT; TURN L HDG 180 DEGS' WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION AND HANDED US BACK TO APCH. WE WERE RE-VECTORED FOR THE APCH AND INSTRUCTED 'NOT TO EXCEED 160 KTS.' APPROX 3 MINS LATER; WE WERE ON VECTORS FOR THE ILS RWY 30; CIRCLE-TO-LAND 12 APCH. AFTER SWITCHING TO TWR; WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND TOLD THERE WAS AN A320 ON THE SAME APCH AT MID-FIELD. WE WERE ASSIGNED 160 KIAS TO THE MARKER. WE FLEW 160 KIAS TO THE MARKER AND THEN REDUCED OUR SPD TO VREF + 20 KTS (121 KIAS) AS PER SOP'S. WE EXECUTED THE APCH AND 'BROKE OUT' AT APPROX 1000 FT MSL; DSNDED TO THE MDA OF 820 FT MSL; AND STARTED TO CIRCLE N AS INSTRUCTED. DURING THE CIRCLE; IT WAS APPARENT (TO US) THAT SOMEONE HAD A STUCK MIKE. WE CHKED OUR RADIOS AND STARTED MONITORING THE OTHER TWR FREQS (119.4) AS WELL AS THE ASSIGNED TWR FREQ IN THE HOPE WE COULD HEAR TWR; WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL. IT WAS ALSO EVIDENT THAT AN ACR X WAS APPROX 2-4 MI FROM THE ARPT TURNING FINAL AND OUTSIDE OF THE PROTECTED AIRSPACE AREA FOR THE CIRCLING APCH. WE COULD HEAR TWR TRYING TO TELL THE A320 TO GO MISSED WITH ALTERNATE MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS; BUT THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T HEAR AS THEY WERE NOT MONITORING THE OTHER FREQ (OUR ASSUMPTION); WHICH HAD A STUCK MIKE. IT BECAME APPARENT TO US THAT IT WAS AN UNSAFE SIT AS 2 JET ACFT WERE IN CLOSE PROX IN LOW VISIBILITY WITH NORAD. FURTHERMORE; WE WERE FAST APCHING OUR PROTECTED AIRSPACE LIMIT (1.7 MI FOR CAT C APCH) FOR CIRCLING APCHS. JUST AS WE WERE STARTING TO MOVE THE PWR LEVERS FOR THE MISSED APCH; TWR INSTRUCTED US TO EXECUTE THE 'PUBLISHED MISSED APCH;' WHICH WAS 'CLB TO 800 FT; L TURN HDG 200 DEGS; THEN CLB TO 2500 FT.' AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 1200 FT MSL; TWR SWITCHED US TO APCH. AT 1700 FT MSL; (CLBING -- AS PER THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH); WE CHKED IN WITH APCH; AND THEY TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 1600 FT MSL. BY THE TIME WE LEVELED OFF AND STARTED THE DSCNT BACK TO 1600 FT MSL; WE WERE AT 1950 FT MSL. WE EXECUTED THE DSCNT AND PERFORMED THE 'MISSED APCH CHKLIST' AS PER OPERATING SPECS. WE WERE AGAIN VECTORED FOR THE APCH TO ILS RWY 30; CIRCLE-TO-LAND RWY 12 WITHOUT INCIDENT AND MADE A FULL-STOP LNDG. UPON LNDG; TWR APOLOGIZED AND SAID THEY BELIEVED ACR X HAD A STUCK MIKE. DURING THE CIRCLING APCH; WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE A320 IN OUR SIGHT AND NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE ACFT UNTIL WE EXECUTED THE MISSED APCH. WE WERE NEVER IN THREAT OF A 'NEAR MISS' WITH THE A320. IN OUR (CREW) OPINION; CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT WAS: 1) THE A320'S VERY LONG BASE-TO-FINAL CIRCLING APCH. 2) THE STUCK MIKE; LEAVING TWR UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE ON THE TWR FREQ WITH EITHER ACFT WAS A PROB. IN THE OP OF OUR OWN ACFT; IF WE WOULD HAVE SLOWED DURING THE VECTORS FOR THE APCH; THE INCIDENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED SINCE THE A320 WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR BY THE TIME WE STARTED THE CIRCLING MANEUVER.

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