PA23 PLT WAS UNPREPARED FOR NIGHT FLIGHT INTO A BUSY ARPT. HE BECAME DISORIENTED; EXECUTED A MISSED APCH; AND WAS EVENTUALLY VECTORED TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG.

Date: 2007-10 · Aircraft: PA-23-250 Aztec

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance

Synopsis

PA23 PLT WAS UNPREPARED FOR NIGHT FLIGHT INTO A BUSY ARPT. HE BECAME DISORIENTED; EXECUTED A MISSED APCH; AND WAS EVENTUALLY VECTORED TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG.

Narrative

A SHORT FLT TO TEB TO DROP OFF A FELLOW MECH BEFORE CONTINUING HOME AFTER A DAY SPENT WORKING ON A BROKEN ACFT. A DELAY IN PARTS TO COMPLETE THE WORK AND A MISCOM ABOUT MY FELLOW MECH NEEDING A RIDE TO TEB LED TO A LATER THAN PLANNED DEP WHICH PUT US IN THE MIDDLE OF EVENING RUSH HR AT THE 2 ARPTS. I WAS RUSHING TO GET TO TEB TO CONTINUE HOME. I WAS NOT PREPARED PROPERLY FOR THE APCH TO TEB ALTHOUGH THE CONDITIONS WERE VMC. THE APCH IN USE WAS THE VOR/DME A. I HAD FAILED TO GET THE CURRENT ATIS INFO AT TEB WHICH WOULD HAVE PREPARED ME BETTER. I WAS BEHIND FROM THE START. I HAD THE WRONG APCH PLATE OUT. I HAD THE VOR/DME RWY 6 INSTEAD OF THE VOR/DME A WHICH HAD MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ALL OFF COURSE. I WAS INST AND NIGHT CURRENT AT THE TIME I THOUGHT. AFTER A REVIEW OF MY RECORDS WHEN I GOT HOME I WAS NIGHT CURRENT IN SINGLE ENG; NOT THE TWIN I WAS FLYING. I WAS TIRED TRYING TO GET INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT AT NIGHT WITH THE WRONG APCH PLATES OUT. I WAS SO LOST THAT TWR TRIED TO HELP BUT I DECIDED TO GO MISSED WHICH I WAS UNPREPARED FOR ANYWAY; BUT WAS VECTORED OUT AND BACK TO APCH FOR RESEQUENCING. WITH THE PROPER APCH PLATE IN HAND AND BRIEFED AND SET UP I WAS VECTORED TO FINAL APCH COURSE AGAIN. STARTED GOOD BUT ONCE I STARTED MY FIRST DSCNT I GOT PREOCCUPIED WITH TRYING TO FIND THE ARPT AMONG THE OTHER GND LIGHTS. I DRIFTED S OF THE ARPT AND LOST CONTACT WITH RPTED TFC I WAS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW TO THE ARPT. I RPTED LOST CONTACT AND NO VISUAL WITH THE ARPT AND THAT I WAS GOING MISSED WHEN ATC ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO DSND AND VECTORED ME TO WHERE I FOUND THE ARPT AND EVENTUALLY MADE A SAFE LNDG. THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE CURRENT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE PROFICIENT AND EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT PLANNING A NIGHT FLT; YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE YOU'RE CURRENT ANYWAY.

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