20110127000989I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Rockwell IN 114 · Travis Afb, CA · January 27, 2011

Date
January 27, 2011 · 22:04 local
Place
Travis Afb, CA
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N4887W
Reported as
Rockwell IN 114
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,862 total2,750 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

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.

Pilot was enroute from santa rosa (sts) to concord (ccr). The weather at ccr had deteriorated and he attempted two instrument approaches without success. He then requested radar vectors to napa (apa). Travis approach control provided the vector. He saw a runway below him and assumed that is was apa. He reported to approach control that he had the airport in sight and was cancelling IFR. Approach control advised him to squawk VFR and frequency change approved. He subsequently spiraled down from about 3000 feet and landed on runway 3L at Travis Afb (suu) without authorization from the tower. He was then met by security. He stated that he attempted to contact apa but there was no response. When the security informed him that the tower at suu is 24/7 he responded: "I'm at Travis?" The weather at the time was reported 1/4 mi with a vertical visibility of 100 feet.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS ENROUTE FROM SANTA ROSA (STS) TO CONCORD (CCR). THE WEATHER AT CCR HAD DETERIORATED AND HE ATTEMPTED TWO INSTRUMENT APPROACHES WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE THEN REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO NAPA (APA). TRAVIS APPROACH CONTROL PROVIDED THE VECTOR. HE SAW A RUNWAY BELOW HIM AND ASSUMED THAT IS WAS APA. HE REPORTED TO APPROACH CONTROL THAT HE HAD THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT AND WAS CANCELLING IFR. APPROACH CONTROL ADVISED HIM TO SQUAWK VFR AND FREQUENCY CHANGE APPROVED. HE SUBSEQUENTLY SPIRALED DOWN FROM ABOUT 3000 FEET AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 3L AT TRAVIS AFB (SUU) WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM THE TOWER. HE WAS THEN MET BY SECURITY. HE STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APA BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. WHEN THE SECURITY INFORMED HIM THAT THE TOWER AT SUU IS 24/7 HE RESPONDED: "I'M AT TRAVIS?" THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS REPORTED 1/4 MI WITH A VERTICAL VISIBILITY OF 100 FEET.