CHARTER PLT LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH ARPT ENVIRONMENT DURING A CIRCLING APCH AND EXECUTED A MISSED APCH.
Synopsis
CHARTER PLT LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH ARPT ENVIRONMENT DURING A CIRCLING APCH AND EXECUTED A MISSED APCH.
Narrative
BUR ARPT WAS OVCST AT 600 FT WITH 7 SM VISIBILITY. RWY 8 WAS CLOSED; THEREFORE; I HAD TO DSND ON THE ILS TO RWY 8 AND CIRCLE TO RWYS 33/15. I MADE 2 ATTEMPTS CIRCLING TO RWY 33. BOTH RESULTED IN MISSED APCHS. I NOTICED; HOWEVER; THE CLOUDS WERE BROKEN N OF THE FIELD. ON THE THIRD APCH; I DSNDED ON THE ILS RWY 8; CIRCLING TO RWY 15. AT THE MDA; WITH RWY 8 IN SIGHT; I CIRCLED FOR RWY 15. WHILE ON THE R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 15 AND CLR OF CLOUDS; I LOST SIGHT OF THE ARPT DUE TO MY POS IN THE L SEAT. AFTER FLYING FOR WHAT I ASSUMED TO BE A REASONABLE DISTANCE FOR FINAL; I MADE A CONTINUOUS TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO FINAL; DSNDING FROM THE MDA IN ORDER TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS AND REGAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT. UPON TURNING FINAL; I EXPECTED TO SEE THE ARPT. UNFORTUNATELY; DURING THE TURN I HAD BECOME DISORIENTED AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND IT. BUR TWR IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ME THAT I WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE RWY. I WAS WELL BELOW THE CIRCLING MDA AND INITIATED THE MISSED APCH PROC. DSNDING BELOW THE MDA WAS A POOR DECISION. EVEN THOUGH THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT WHEN I INITIATED THE CIRCLING MANEUVER; I LEFT THE MDA WITHOUT ANY VISUAL CUES. A COMBINATION OF UNFAMILIARITY WITH THAT ARPT AND INEXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECISION. IF FACING A SIMILAR SITUATION AGAIN; I WOULD NOT CIRCLE IN A R-HAND PATTERN. THUS; I COULD MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT AT ALL TIMES. FURTHER; I WOULD GIVE MYSELF LONGER DOWNWIND AND FINAL LEGS WITH MORE TIME TO ESTABLISH A STABILIZED APCH FROM THE MDA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR BUR TO CLOSE RWY 8 FOR CONSTRUCTION DURING NIGHTTIME HOURS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.