LJ35 DSNDED FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHEN PIC MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC. PNF WAS ENGAGED IN ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AT THE TIME.
Synopsis
LJ35 DSNDED FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHEN PIC MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC. PNF WAS ENGAGED IN ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AT THE TIME.
Narrative
WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN APCH TO UGN; WE WERE ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 4000 FT. AS WE NEARED THE LAKESHORE MY COPLT WAS CONTACTING UNICOM AT UGN. I WAS MONITORING THE APCH FREQ; WHICH WAS VERY BUSY WITH OTHER ARPT. I BELIEVE WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AS WE OVERFLEW KENOSHA ARPT; WE CALLED AND SAID WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I APPARENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD. 'EXPRESS THE VISUAL TO RWY 5.' AS A CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL APCH. I BEGAN A DSCNT OUT OF 4000-3500 FT. THEN THE COPLT ASKED IF WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO DSND. WE HAD SWITCHED FREQ TO UGN TWR; WHICH AGAIN; I THOUGHT WAS A CLRNC FOR THE VISIBILITY TO RWY 5. AT THIS TIME; THE PNF WAS LOOKING FOR AN APCH PLATE FOR THE ARPT. THE UGN TWR INSTRUCTED US TO RETURN TO APCH FREQ APCH; THEN TOLD US WE DSNDED WITHOUT CLRNC. WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 4000 FT. APCH THEN HANDED US OFF TO UGN TWR; CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL; AND INSTRUCTED US TO REMAIN N OF THE ARPT. WE WERE ABOVE THE ARPT AT THIS TIME. WHEN WE DID MAKE THE VISUAL TO RWY 5; IT WAS AFTER FLYING A R 270 DEG TURN TO FINAL; BECAUSE OF OUR POS. WE LANDED NORMALLY; I BELIEVE THE GREATEST FACTOR WAS DUE TO BEING BASED AT PWK; I WAS COMPLACENT IN THINKING I'M IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY; WHEREAS THE VECTORS AND APCH TO UGN IS VERY DIFFERENT. ALLOWING THE PNF TO CONTACT AND FBO FOR PAX CONVENIENCE WAS ILL TIMED. THE APCH/LNDG PHASES OF FLT REQUIRES ALL OF BOTH PLTS' ATTN. AN ADDED DISTR WAS THE GEAR WARNING HORN INTERMITTENTLY SOUNDING. IN CONCLUSION; TREAT EVERY APCH LIKE AN APCH TO A STRANGE ARPT IN BAD WX; PREPARE EARLY; AND KEEP BOTH PLTS INVOLVED DURING THE APCH.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.