A CE550 FLT CREW MADE A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO AN UNCTLED FIELD AND CONFLICTED WITH ANOTHER ACFT THAT DEPARTED ON THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY.
Synopsis
A CE550 FLT CREW MADE A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO AN UNCTLED FIELD AND CONFLICTED WITH ANOTHER ACFT THAT DEPARTED ON THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY.
Narrative
THE FO WAS FLYING. WE WERE ENRTE TO DAN. ZDC KEPT US UP HIGH AND WHEN GIVEN A DSCNT CLRNC; WE HAD TO HURRY DOWN. WX AT DAN (AWOS) RPTED AS 1800 FT SCATTERED; 10 MI VISIBILITY; AND WIND 090 DEGS AT 4 KTS. (THE WINDS WERE JUST ABOUT A DIRECT XWIND NOT FAVORING EITHER RWY; RWY 2/20). CTR ADVISED US THAT SHE HAD SOMEONE JUST AHEAD OF US GET THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT 6 MI FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 20. WE DSNDED TO 3000 FT. AT ABOUT 10 MI; WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE RPTED THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND CANCELED IFR. THE CTLR ADVISED US SHE OBSERVED 1 TARGET THAT MIGHT BE IN THE PATTERN. I SWITCHED TO DAN UNICOM AND MADE A RADIO CALL STATING OUR POS AND INTENTIONS. I GOT NO REPLY. WE LINED UP ON A 10 MI FINAL FOR RWY 20; AND MADE ANOTHER POS RPT ON DAN UNICOM. WE GOT A REPLY FROM A PIPER WARRIOR ON XWIND FOR RWY 2. NO OTHER ACFT WERE OBSERVED OR HEARD. THE WINDS DID NOT FAVOR RWY 2. I DECIDED IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO LAND ON RWY 20 SINCE IT WOULD TAKE THE WARRIOR MUCH LONGER TO COMPLETE THE PATTERN; AND WE COULD NOT FOLLOW BEHIND HIM AT OUR GREATER SPD. ANOTHER CALL WAS MADE TO DAN UNICOM RPTING A 3 MI FINAL TO RWY 20. ON 1/4 MI FINAL; WE OBSERVED A C172 COMING TOWARDS US; SLIGHTLY ABOVE OUR ALT AND IN A R BANK. THE C172 NEVER MADE ANY RADIO XMISSIONS OR ITS DEP FROM RWY 2. LOOKING BACK ON THE SIT; I HAVE TO ADMIT I FELT SOME PRESSURE TO LAND WITHOUT ENTERING THE FULL TFC PATTERN DUE TO THE COST OF OPERATING THE JET. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXTRA VIGILANT AT AN UNCTLED ARPT. CALLING UNICOM AND LISTENING FOR TFC WAS GOOD; BUT I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN IT A STEP FURTHER. I HAVE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON TO ALWAYS ENTER THE PATTERN ON THE DOWNWIND LEG TO HELP OBSERVE TFC THAT MAY NOT BE ON THE RADIO AT AN UNCTLED ARPT. I AM A PROFESSIONAL PLT AND I STRIVE TO RUN A SAFE AND EFFICIENT OP. IT WAS A REAL EMBARRASSMENT FOR ME WHEN THIS HAPPENED; AND I HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO ENSURE IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. THE FO AND I HAD A DISCUSSION OF WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE; AND WE WILL DO IN THE FUTURE. I AM THANKFUL NO ONE WAS HURT AND IT WAS ONLY A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.