BOEING 737 7H4 — Branson, MO, USA, 2014-01-13

NTSB summary

The flight crew briefed a plan to have radar vectors to the final approach course at Branson Airport and to use the RNAV (GPS) Runway 14 to line up on the final approach. The flight crew programmed the flight management system for the approach and set up the onboard navigation systems accordingly; including the use of distance measuring equipment from another approach navigation aid to provide additional situation awareness. During descent, the flight crew discussed the navigation information displayed, compared it to the lights they could see on the horizon, and confirmed what they believed to be the airport beacon based on that comparison early in the descent. The approach controller cleared the flight direct to the final approach fix depicted on the RNAV approach to the runway of intended landing. While still about 20 miles from the destination airport, the approach controller advised the crew the airport was located at their 11 o'clock position and 15 miles although at the time, that position more closely approximated Downtown Airport. Branson Airport was slightly left at their 10 o'clock position and almost 20 miles. The flight crew called the airport in sight and accepted a visual approach clearance and handoff to Branson control tower. Upon checking in with Branson Tower, the crew was cleared to land on runway 14 at Branson. When the crew identified what they believed to be Branson Airport early in the descent, they did not crosscheck or verify the airport position using onboard navigation after that point. Perceiving they were a little high on the approach into Downtown Airport, they widened the base leg for descent and then descended below approach control radar coverage as they turn onto final approach. Therefore, from the perspective of the approach controller this appeared to be a normal flight path into Branson Airport up to the point when radar contact was lost. Instead, the flight crew lined up on final approach to runway 12 at Downtown Airport and proceeded to land. The captain recognized the error soon after touchdown when he realized the runway was shorter than expected and he applied maximum braking, coming to a stop about 300 feet from the end of the paved surface.

Probable cause

The Flight crew's failure to properly identify the airport and runway of intended landing. Contributing to the incident was the flight crew's failure to comply with procedures for use of navigation information and visual cues to verify the airport and runway of intended landing and the air traffic controller's issuance of erroneous airport geographic information without including the location of proximate airports.

Flight data recorder

Boeing 737-700 · N272WN — 29,568 samples, 41 parameters, 18:00:00.0 to 18:12:59.9.

Sequence of events (FDR factual report)

Recorder documents in the docket

Docket: data.ntsb.gov/Docket/?NTSBNumber=DCA14IA037. This brief is an analytical aid assembled from public records; it is not an investigative finding.