Commercial Fixed Wing
Situational Awareness; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Object
General None Reported / Taken
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
I was a passenger on a flight to Spokane. I was sitting in seat X. I was traveling with my spouse who was seated on the opposite side of the aircraft in seat Y. The flight enroute was uneventful. On descent; we were again in VMC conditions. A visual approach would be likely as there were no clouds between our position and the airport. The active runway was 21. As an airline pilot I have done the visual arrival into GEG Runway 21 many times from the south and am aware of the several high towers that are southeast of the airport and directly in line with the arrival into Spokane. Two of the towers are nearly 950 high; so this is a significant threat to arrival aircraft; especially if pilots are heads down and not noticing the towers. If pilots are only focused on clearing the terrain by 1;000 ft. that will clearly put the aircraft in near contact with one of these two towers since the towers themselves are nearly 1;000 ft. above ground. Having been a commuter for much of my career; I have flown over these towers as a passenger no less than 100 times. I know what the normal proximity is to those towers should be and look like from both within the cabin and flight deck on this visual approach. From my vantage point in seat 2A; our vertical proximity to the towers southeast of GEG was not normal and appeared to be dangerously close. We appeared to be much lower over the towers than I had ever seen before in nearly two decades of flying into the airport. I was definitely uncomfortable with what I was seeing and even a bit shaken by what appeared to be a 'close call'. Our arrival into Spokane was mostly normal after that event. The landing appeared to be a bit long; perhaps even out of the touchdown; but nothing of great significance. Upon arrival at the gate; my spouse and I deplaned. Once inside the terminal; my spouse asked me 'Did you see that arrival?' I said 'You mean; how close we were to those towers?' My spouse said;'YES! My God I have never seen those towers so close in my life- that wasn't right.' My spouse is also an airline pilot and commutes so he too is a valid witness to what occurred on that flight. We discussed whether or not to say something as we understand that events can happen from time to time. Because of the seriousness of what we saw; we felt it was appropriate to contact ALPA in an effort to highlight this real threat to all airlines and general aviation regarding the visual arrival into GEG. Over the years I have seen certain deviations from standard that were noteworthy but nothing that alarmed me the way this did. My hope is that additional training can be provided to all airline pilots regarding the towers in proximity to GEG. Perhaps a greater emphasis on arrival procedures. Maybe even a bigger emphasis on the Jeppesen chart itself. I also think the arrival gate coming into GEG from the south should not be allowed over the towers; either VMC or IMC. They are a threat in either scenario. Lastly; a possible change to ATC protocol would be for Approach to require visual confirmation of the towers to arriving aircraft when a visual approach is expected.
An airline pilot flying as a passenger reported while the aircraft appeared to be flying a Visual Approach it flew too close to towers located near the airport.