19970419014599I

Incident

FAA incident report · Boeing 737300 · West Palm Beach, FL · April 19, 1997

Date
April 19, 1997 · 21:47 local
Place
West Palm Beach, FL
Airport
Palm Beach International
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
USAA
Aircraft
N350US
Reported as
Boeing 737300
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
7,943 in this make and model

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: while on a visual approach to runway 27R, pbi, the captain and f/o heard "usair, go around." The crew initiated a go around at 400 AGL. The crew assumed it was an instruction from pbi tower. In fact it was from an unknown source in the area. The tower personnel did not hear the transmission, and it was not on the tower tape. However, according to technicians at the pdi ATCT, it would be possible for the aircraft to receive the instruction, and the tower not to receive it. Depending on direction and location of the false transmitter. The crew reacted properly, since they were the only usair flight in the area. At 400 AGL there would be not enough time to query the tower. They did what they are trained to do, and made a visual go-around. Law enforcement came up empty handed. Unfortunately, the voice tape was not taken out by usair to preserve the recording. This would be an advisable action to take in future occurrences of this type.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: WHILE ON A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27R, PBI, THE CAPTAIN AND F/O HEARD "USAIR, GO AROUND." THE CREW INITIATED A GO AROUND AT 400 AGL. THE CREW ASSUMED IT WAS AN INSTRUCTION FROM PBI TOWER. IN FACT IT WAS FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE IN THE AREA. THE TOWER PERSONNEL DID NOT HEAR THE TRANSMISSION, AND IT WAS NOT ON THE TOWER TAPE. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO TECHNICIANS AT THE PDI ATCT, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THE AIRCRAFT TO RECEIVE THE INSTRUCTION, AND THE TOWER NOT TO RECEIVE IT. DEPENDING ON DIRECTION AND LOCATION OF THE FALSE TRANSMITTER. THE CREW REACTED PROPERLY, SINCE THEY WERE THE ONLY USAIR FLIGHT IN THE AREA. AT 400 AGL THERE WOULD BE NOT ENOUGH TIME TO QUERY THE TOWER. THEY DID WHAT THEY ARE TRAINED TO DO, AND MADE A VISUAL GO-AROUND. LAW ENFORCEMENT CAME UP EMPTY HANDED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE VOICE TAPE WAS NOT TAKEN OUT BY USAIR TO PRESERVE THE RECORDING. THIS WOULD BE AN ADVISABLE ACTION TO TAKE IN FUTURE OCCURRENCES OF THIS TYPE.