Wheres that Runway?

Its the end of a long day filled of uncooperative weather, ground stops, and a diversion tossed in to make it interesting. Youre shooting the non-precision (of course) GPS approach, and upon reaching minimums, you look up and see … nothing. Wait a minute! Isnt that a PAPI glowing out of the left side of your window? Is that your runway? If so, whats it doing all the way over there?

IFR Staff

Sunday, March 11, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots should actively brief the expected "sight picture" at minimums, as the runway may appear significantly off-center rather than straight ahead, leading to disorientation.
Runway offsets can result from intentionally designed final approach courses (due to obstacles, terrain, or airspace) or from the aircraft crabbing into a strong crosswind.
Thorough pre-flight preparation, including comparing the final approach course to the runway heading and utilizing chart cues, is crucial to anticipate the runway's position and make a timely landing decision.

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It’s the end of a long day filled of uncooperative weather, ground stops, and a diversion tossed in to make it interesting. You’re shooting the non-precision (of course) GPS approach, and upon reaching minimums, you look up and see … nothing. Wait a minute! Isn’t that a PAPI glowing out of the left side of your window? Is that your runway? If so, what’s it doingall the way over there?

This was the experience that a reader shared with us about flying the GPS RWY 12R approach into the North Las Vegas airport (KVGT). (See Readback, “Not There, but Over There.)”