Narrative:

I have always known that flying into the lgb airport was hazardous, but I didn't realize how dangerous it really was until TCASII. My latest approach into the lgb airport was a terrifying experience. We were arriving from oak at about PM15 local on a sat afternoon. (After numerous scary arrs into lgb I have arrived at the belief that the best way to enter the lgb airport (now that we have TCASII) is at flaps 15 maneuvering speed on a visual approach, crossing the coastline at about 4000 and then descending rapidly when within 10 mi of the lgb airport. When the TCASII TA's and RA's occur, we are at least able to maneuver without the added confusion of the approach controller giving us advisories as well.) today was more typical of the absurdities we face every day flying into the lgb airport, and bur as well. The visibility was being called 4 mi. About 5 mi prior to the coastline approaching from the southwest, coast approach issued us a clearance to descend from 4000 ft to 1600 ft. He added that he wanted us to hurry down because he had an IFR aircraft that was going to cross over us right to left that was at 3000 ft. (The idea that a controller can separate 2 aircraft on an IFR clearance when there are 10 in the area still baffles me.) as we were descending, we saw numerous targets at the coastline all within 10 to 2 O'clock that were somewhere between 1000 ft and 2500 ft. Sure enough, our TCASII issued several TA's followed by several RA's. The first RA told us to climb, but we saw the IFR aircraft above us at 2 O'clock. When we started to climb, an RA went off to stop climb, but at the same time, coast approach got excited and told us to descend immediately. The copilot was flying and he immediately reacted by pushing down on the nose. We immediately were given a climb RA, followed rapidly by so many RA reversals that I can't remember the sequence and we couldn't possibly maneuver the aircraft fast enough to keep up with the RA reversals. At one time, however, there were 3 RA's on our scope at 1 time. (This is the second time I have seen this in lgb.) we are darn lucky that we did not wind up upside down on the coast highway next to an small aircraft. Until we get that arsa over the entire los angeles basin, we should all be praying that there is not another cerritos or san diego tragedy. Quite frankly, I am very frustrated that every time I arrive at lgb, I have to worry if I and my trusting passenger will live through it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF ACR MLG TELLS OF THE HAZARDS OF PERFORMING AN APCH INTO LGB, PARTICULARLY ON A WKEND WITH THE SKY FULL OF SMA TYPE ACFT.

Narrative: I HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT FLYING INTO THE LGB ARPT WAS HAZARDOUS, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW DANGEROUS IT REALLY WAS UNTIL TCASII. MY LATEST APCH INTO THE LGB ARPT WAS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. WE WERE ARRIVING FROM OAK AT ABOUT PM15 LCL ON A SAT AFTERNOON. (AFTER NUMEROUS SCARY ARRS INTO LGB I HAVE ARRIVED AT THE BELIEF THAT THE BEST WAY TO ENTER THE LGB ARPT (NOW THAT WE HAVE TCASII) IS AT FLAPS 15 MANEUVERING SPD ON A VISUAL APCH, XING THE COASTLINE AT ABOUT 4000 AND THEN DSNDING RAPIDLY WHEN WITHIN 10 MI OF THE LGB ARPT. WHEN THE TCASII TA'S AND RA'S OCCUR, WE ARE AT LEAST ABLE TO MANEUVER WITHOUT THE ADDED CONFUSION OF THE APCH CTLR GIVING US ADVISORIES AS WELL.) TODAY WAS MORE TYPICAL OF THE ABSURDITIES WE FACE EVERY DAY FLYING INTO THE LGB ARPT, AND BUR AS WELL. THE VISIBILITY WAS BEING CALLED 4 MI. ABOUT 5 MI PRIOR TO THE COASTLINE APCHING FROM THE SW, COAST APCH ISSUED US A CLRNC TO DSND FROM 4000 FT TO 1600 FT. HE ADDED THAT HE WANTED US TO HURRY DOWN BECAUSE HE HAD AN IFR ACFT THAT WAS GOING TO CROSS OVER US R TO L THAT WAS AT 3000 FT. (THE IDEA THAT A CTLR CAN SEPARATE 2 ACFT ON AN IFR CLRNC WHEN THERE ARE 10 IN THE AREA STILL BAFFLES ME.) AS WE WERE DSNDING, WE SAW NUMEROUS TARGETS AT THE COASTLINE ALL WITHIN 10 TO 2 O'CLOCK THAT WERE SOMEWHERE BTWN 1000 FT AND 2500 FT. SURE ENOUGH, OUR TCASII ISSUED SEVERAL TA'S FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL RA'S. THE FIRST RA TOLD US TO CLB, BUT WE SAW THE IFR ACFT ABOVE US AT 2 O'CLOCK. WHEN WE STARTED TO CLB, AN RA WENT OFF TO STOP CLB, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, COAST APCH GOT EXCITED AND TOLD US TO DSND IMMEDIATELY. THE COPLT WAS FLYING AND HE IMMEDIATELY REACTED BY PUSHING DOWN ON THE NOSE. WE IMMEDIATELY WERE GIVEN A CLB RA, FOLLOWED RAPIDLY BY SO MANY RA REVERSALS THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER THE SEQUENCE AND WE COULDN'T POSSIBLY MANEUVER THE ACFT FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH THE RA REVERSALS. AT ONE TIME, HOWEVER, THERE WERE 3 RA'S ON OUR SCOPE AT 1 TIME. (THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE SEEN THIS IN LGB.) WE ARE DARN LUCKY THAT WE DID NOT WIND UP UPSIDE DOWN ON THE COAST HWY NEXT TO AN SMA. UNTIL WE GET THAT ARSA OVER THE ENTIRE LOS ANGELES BASIN, WE SHOULD ALL BE PRAYING THAT THERE IS NOT ANOTHER CERRITOS OR SAN DIEGO TRAGEDY. QUITE FRANKLY, I AM VERY FRUSTRATED THAT EVERY TIME I ARRIVE AT LGB, I HAVE TO WORRY IF I AND MY TRUSTING PAX WILL LIVE THROUGH IT.

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.