FLT CREW OF CL60 LINE UP ON RWY 28 VICE RWY 27L AT ATL.
Synopsis
FLT CREW OF CL60 LINE UP ON RWY 28 VICE RWY 27L AT ATL.
Narrative
I WAS FLYING WITH A VERY EXPERIENCED AND CONSCIENTIOUS FO (8 YRS WITH AIRLINE); HE WAS PF. WE WERE ON A 'SLAM DUNK' APCH INTO ATL. THE WX WAS GOOD NIGHT VFR AND THE TFC WAS VERY LIGHT. ATC CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27L AND SWITCHED US TO TWR. WE CHKED IN WITH TWR AND HE CLRED US TO LAND RWY 27L. THE ONLY PROB WAS WE WERE LINED UP ON THE NEW RWY 28! ABOUT 5 MI OUT; TWR CALLED AND SAID 'ARE YOU ON THE VISUAL FOR RWY 27L?' WE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED OUR ERROR AND ADJUSTED OUR HDG TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL FOR RWY 27L. WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO CONTINUE OUR STABILIZED APCH AND LAND ON RWY 27L. NO TFC WAS NEAR. RWY 28 WAS BRIGHTLY LIGHTED UP. GOOD HEADS UP BY THE ATC TWR CTLR. BTWN MY FO AND MYSELF WE HAD BEEN INTO ATL AROUND 1500-2000 TIMES; SO IS THIS GOOD OR BAD? I WOULD SAY GOOD; BUT THEN WHEN YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH SOMETHING AND IT CHANGES IT TAKES YOUR MIND A PERIOD OF TIME TO ADJUST THE MENTAL PICTURE. FOR YRS; RWY 27L WAS THE SOUTHERNMOST RWY. YES; WE BOTH HAD THE LOC TUNED UP. MY FO WAS HAND FLYING THE APCH AND I WAS NOTICING THE LOC DEFLECTION. WE WERE RIGHT ON THE GS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE RWY 27L GS. I KEPT THINKING TO MYSELF 'OK; THE SIGHT PICTURE IS RIGHT ON AND THE LOC IS GOING TO COME IN ANY SECOND NOW.' I WOULD ESTIMATE I WAS THINKING THIS FOR ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS. I AM CURIOUS IF I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS ERROR. WHEN WOULD IT CLICK IN MY MIND I WAS LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY? WHAT WOULD BE THAT 'CLICKING' CUE? WOULD WE HAVE BOTH MISSED THE ERROR AND LANDED ON RWY 28 IF THE CTLR HADN'T SAID SOMETHING? WE BOTH PONDERED THESE THINGS GREATLY. I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE AND TEND TO THINK I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR VIA VISUAL CUES AROUND 2500 FT AGL. I HAVE ONLY LANDED ON RWY 28 ONCE AT NIGHT. IT WAS MY FO HAS NEVER LANDED ON RWY 28 AT NIGHT. IT IS NOT A REAL FAMILIAR MENTAL PICTURE. WOULD I HAVE DONE DIFFERENT? WHAT WERE SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: BASICS; BELIEVE YOUR INSTS; NOT YOUR INNER EAR OR YOUR EYES. I MUST SAY THAT THE SIGHT PICTURE OUTSIDE POWERFULLY CONFIRMED MY MENTAL MODEL. ALSO; I WILL USE THE AUTOMATION UNTIL LINED UP AND ESTABLISHED ON FINAL; ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT AT THE LONG END ON A DUTY DAY (12 HRS). EVEN WITH THE AUTOPLT ON; I WONDER IF I WOULD HAVE DISENGAGE IT THINKING I WAS FLYING THROUGH THE RWY 27L FINAL -- MAYBE. THE SIGHT PICTURE WAS VERY POWERFUL. WE HAD THE FLT DIRECTOR UP AND THE APCH MODE WAS ARMED. MY FO WAS FLYING OUTSIDE THE COMMAND BARS LOOKING OUTSIDE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.