 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
2 reporters in private small aircraft encounter communication problems with congested frequency and overloaded tower controller at prc, love field.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 140206 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199003 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : prc |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : prc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Route In Use | arrival other departure other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 275 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 140206 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time total : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 141077 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
*2 experienced pilots in an small aircraft approached prc on a VFR day and experienced difficulty in establishing communication and relaying their position to the tower. Tower controller gave a reporting point unfamiliar to the pilots, causing more confusion. Congested frequency made communication difficult to impossible. Closer in, the tower was unable to spot the small aircraft and a following trainer gave both positions, but tower controller unable to see reporter's aircraft until very close final. After landing the ground frequency was so crowded reporter had difficulty in obtaining clearance to taxi and finally self-cleared the runway, crossed and parked. Departing the same day there was another confused clearance where tower controller alleged reporter was not following instructions. Both reporters admit to poor communication procedure because of frequency congestion, but agree that prc tower personnel are overloaded with training aircraft. Training pilots do not practice good communication procedure, tower personnel are inadequately trained, do not maintain communication discipline and gave an unauthorized reporting point. A dangerous situation exists in the prc love field area. Confusion there has to be seen to be believed. Safety hazards posed by lack of control are obvious. Both reports state their opinion that the prc area is dangerous. Situation should be investigated before a tragedy occurs.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 2 REPORTERS IN PVT SMA ENCOUNTER COM PROBLEMS WITH CONGESTED FREQ AND OVERLOADED TWR CTLR AT PRC, LOVE FIELD.
Narrative: *2 EXPERIENCED PLTS IN AN SMA APCHED PRC ON A VFR DAY AND EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN ESTABLISHING COM AND RELAYING THEIR POS TO THE TWR. TWR CTLR GAVE A RPTING POINT UNFAMILIAR TO THE PLTS, CAUSING MORE CONFUSION. CONGESTED FREQ MADE COM DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE. CLOSER IN, THE TWR WAS UNABLE TO SPOT THE SMA AND A FOLLOWING TRAINER GAVE BOTH POSITIONS, BUT TWR CTLR UNABLE TO SEE RPTR'S ACFT UNTIL VERY CLOSE FINAL. AFTER LNDG THE GND FREQ WAS SO CROWDED RPTR HAD DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING CLRNC TO TAXI AND FINALLY SELF-CLRED THE RWY, CROSSED AND PARKED. DEPARTING THE SAME DAY THERE WAS ANOTHER CONFUSED CLRNC WHERE TWR CTLR ALLEGED RPTR WAS NOT FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS. BOTH REPORTERS ADMIT TO POOR COM PROC BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION, BUT AGREE THAT PRC TWR PERSONNEL ARE OVERLOADED WITH TRNING ACFT. TRNING PLTS DO NOT PRACTICE GOOD COM PROC, TWR PERSONNEL ARE INADEQUATELY TRAINED, DO NOT MAINTAIN COM DISCIPLINE AND GAVE AN UNAUTH RPTING POINT. A DANGEROUS SITUATION EXISTS IN THE PRC LOVE FIELD AREA. CONFUSION THERE HAS TO BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED. SAFETY HAZARDS POSED BY LACK OF CONTROL ARE OBVIOUS. BOTH REPORTS STATE THEIR OPINION THAT THE PRC AREA IS DANGEROUS. SITUATION SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE A TRAGEDY OCCURS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.