LR60 FLT CREW REPORTS INABILITY TO SEE TEX RWY 9 AFTER LOC APPROACH DUE TO SUN GLARE AND EXECUTES MISSED APPROACH. THIRD ATTEMPT IS SUCCESSFUL AFTER SUN MOVES HIGHER.
Synopsis
LR60 FLT CREW REPORTS INABILITY TO SEE TEX RWY 9 AFTER LOC APPROACH DUE TO SUN GLARE AND EXECUTES MISSED APPROACH. THIRD ATTEMPT IS SUCCESSFUL AFTER SUN MOVES HIGHER.
Narrative
WE WERE ON A REPO FLT AND ARRIVED INTO THE TEX TERMINAL AREA. THE WX CONDITIONS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS; CLR SKIES; AND UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. PER COMPANY POLICY; LNDG AT TEX IS RESTR TO RWY 9 ONLY. WE CANCELED OUR IFR FLT PLAN 5 NM S OF THE ARPT. WE FLEW ABOUT 10 NM W OF TEX AND COMMENCED THE TURN INBOUND TO GET ESTABLISHED ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 9. AS WE ALIGNED WITH THE ARPT; USING THE LOC FOR LATERAL GUIDANCE TO THE RWY; WE NOTICED THE EXTREME AMOUNT OF SUN GLARE IN THE WINDSHIELD. WE CONTINUED INBOUND AT A SAFE TERRAIN CLRNC ALT OF 11100 FT MSL PER THE APCH CHART AND MSA FOR THE AREA. ABOUT 5 NM FROM THE RWY; WE COULD NOT VISUALLY SEE THE ARPT OR THE TERRAIN E OF THE ARPT. I ELECTED TO COMMENCE A GAR. WE CLBED AND CIRCLED TO THE W TO CLR THE RISING TERRAIN. WE AGAIN ATTEMPTED AN APCH; BEGINNING 10 NM W OF THE ARPT USING THE LOC FOR LATERAL GUIDANCE. ONCE AGAIN; WE EXPERIENCED EXTREME SUN GLARE IN THE WINDSHIELD. WE PROCEEDED AT 11100 FT MSL TO 3-4 NM FROM THE APCH END OF THE RWY. ONCE AGAIN; WE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT OR THE RISING TERRAIN E OF TEX AND ELECTED TO GO AROUND A SECOND TIME. AGAIN; WE MADE A CLBING R TURN AND PROCEEDED WBOUND AWAY FROM THE TERRAIN. IN BOTH APCH ATTEMPTS; THE GLARE WORSENED AS WE DSNDED TOWARDS THE ARPT; AND ESSENTIALLY PUT US IN IMC CONDITIONS WITH NO FORWARD FLT VISIBILITY. THE ONLY VISIBILITY WE HAD WAS AT THE 3 AND 9 O'CLOCK POS AND STRAIGHT DOWN BELOW US. WE DISCUSSED OUR FUEL STATUS AND ALTERNATE ARPT OPTIONS. THE ACFT HAD 2500 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD AND ALL ALTERNATE ARPTS WERE RPTING VFR CONDITIONS. WE DECIDED TO WAIT A FEW MINS SINCE THE SUN WAS RAPIDLY RISING IN THE SKY. AFTER A SHORT DELAY; WE BEGAN THE 3RD ATTEMPT AT LNDG. DURING THIS ATTEMPT; I ACQUIRED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY ENVIRONMENT ABOUT 4 NM FROM THE APCH END. WE LEFT THE SAFE ALT AND COMMENCED THE FINAL APCH TO THE RWY. WE REQUIRED A STEEP; BUT STABILIZED DSCNT AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. POSSIBLE CAUSES: THE LACK OF CLOUDS PROVIDED A SITUATION FOR EXTREME SUN GLARE IN THE WINDSHIELD. THIS WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE POS OF THE SUN RELATIVE TO A LNDG ON RWY 9 AND THE WAY THE SUN WAS GLARING OFF THE MOUNTAINS SURROUNDING THE ARPT. IN THE FIRST 2 APCH ATTEMPTS; IT ESSENTIALLY CREATED IMC CONDITIONS AS WE APCHED THE ARPT. SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT REOCCURRENCE: I RECOMMENDED TO OUR COMPANY SAFETY COMMITTEE TO ISSUE AN ADVISORY TO CREWS ON THE HAZARDS OF A MORNING ARR IN TEX ON CLR DAYS. THE POS OF THE SUN IN THE MORNING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE THE CREW BLIND WITH REGARD TO FORWARD FLT VISIBILITY. THE TEX APCH TO RWY 9 IS AN APCH THAT REQUIRES AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF PLANNING AND CAUTION DUE TO RISING TERRAIN ABOVE 14000 FT MSL IN ALL QUADRANTS SURROUNDING THE ARPT. IT CAN ONLY SAFELY BE CONDUCTED IN VISUAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT SUN GLARE. ANY OBSTRUCTION TO FLT VISIBILITY REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE GAR WITH A TURN TO THE W TO CLR THE TERRAIN. FURTHERMORE; THE EXTREME RWY GRADIENT (1.9% DOWNHILL) WHEN LNDG ON RWY 9 MAKES IT ESSENTIAL TO HAVE GOOD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY TO PLAN A SAFE DSCNT AND TOUCHDOWN. ANY HINDRANCE TO VISIBILITY SHOULD CAUSE A CREW TO CONSIDER DIVERTING TO ANOTHER SUITABLE ARPT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.