CPR-LTT CLOSE PROX WITH GA-SMT.

Date: 1988-02 · Aircraft: Light Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng · Phase: approach

Anomalies: conflict-nmac

Synopsis

CPR-LTT CLOSE PROX WITH GA-SMT.

Narrative

WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS 15 AT DALLAS ADDISON ARPT (KADS) BY REG'L APCH AND WERE ON DOWNWIND WHEN WE WERE ADVISED OF TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK. WE SAW THE TFC WHICH APPEARED TO BE ON FINAL FOR ADDISON; BUT APCH SAID HE WASN'T TALKING TO HIM. WE WERE THEN VECTORED TO FINAL AND CLRD TO DESCENDED TO 2200'; BUT WERE TOLD WE COULD STAY AT 3000' IF WE WANTED SINCE THE TFC THAT WAS NOW AHEAD WAS INDICATING 2200' BY HIS MODE C. THE APCH CTLR SAID ADDISON TWR WAS TALKING TO HIM AND FOR US TO CONTACT THEM. BEFORE WE LEFT THE FREQ; SOMEONE SAID; 'HE IS GOING TO OVERFLY THE ARPT.' WE ARE STILL NOT SURE WHO IT WAS OR WHAT AIRPLANE THEY WERE REALLY TALKING ABOUT; BUT WE THOUGHT THEY WERE REFERRING TO OUR TFC. WHEN WE CONTACTED ADDISON TWR THEY NEVER MENTIONED THE TFC. MY COCAPT AND I REALLY CAN'T REMEMBER FOR SURE NOW; BUT WE THINK WE WERE CLRD TO LAND AT THAT TIME. THE STATEMENT ABOUT OVERFLYING THE ARPT AND BEING CLRD TO LAND WAS WHAT LED US TO THINK HE WAS NOT GOING TO DESCENDED ANY FURTHER. I STARTED DOWN THE G/S AND THE TFC AHEAD STAYED LEVEL. I TOLD MY COCAPT TO WATCH THE TFC. I WAS INSIDE THE MARKER PASSING THROUGH 1500' WHEN MY COCAPT YELLED; 'WATCH OUT.' WHEN I LOOKED UP; I HAD A WINDSHIELD FULL OF SMT AND IMMEDIATELY BANKED HARD RIGHT AND PASSED APPROX 100' OFF THE RIGHT AND 50' BELOW THE SMT. THE PLT OF THE SMT CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID; 'THAT WAS AWFUL CLOSE;' AND I CALLED ADDISON TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS CLRD FOR THE ILS AND WHAT WAS THIS GUY DOING FLYING RIGHT DOWN THE FINAL APCH COURSE. THEY QUICKLY CAME BACK WITH THE FACT THAT HE WAS VFR AND RIGHT WHERE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AND DIDN'T APCH TELL US ABOUT THE TFC. I KNEW THEN THAT WE HAD JUST FLAT FOULED UP AND DIDN'T PRESS IT ANY FURTHER. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED. THE SMT LANDED BEHIND US JUST AFTER WE CLRD THE RWY. WHEN I ASKED MY COCAPT WHY HE DIDN'T SAY SOMETHING SOONER; HE SAID HE NEVER REALIZED HOW CLOSE WE WERE UNTIL HE COULD SEE THE SILHOUETTE OF THE SMT. SINCE WE DIDN'T KNOW THE TYPE ACFT OR SPD AND COULD ONLY SEE THE NAV LIGHTS; HE SAID HE DIDN'T THINK WE WERE CLOSING ON HIM UNTIL WE WERE RIGHT BEHIND HIM. I CAN'T BELIEVE WE LET THIS HAPPEN. I KNOW THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE LED OURSELVES TO BELIEVE; I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE TWR ABOUT THE TFC AND HIS INTENTIONS. I HAVE NOBODY TO BLAME ON THIS ONE BUT MYSELF. WE HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR 13 HRS AT THIS POINT AND THIS WAS OUR FIFTH LNDG; WITH OUR LAST LEG TO HOU STILL TO GO. I GUESS WE WERE TAKING TOO MUCH FOR GRANTED; THINKING THE TWR SURELY WOULDN'T LET US GET OURSELVES INTO THIS SITUATION. HOW STUPID AND COMPLACENT CAN I GET? I HOPE I HAVE LEARNED MY LESSON ABOUT TFC AWARENESS FROM THIS ONE.

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