Narrative:

Conducting instrument approachs, working with sck TRACON. Given IFR clearance to tcy as follows: 'cleared to the tcy airport via direct eca, cleared for the tcy VOR-a approach, maintain 2000 ft until established.' after manco intersection, descended to 1600 ft. 1 mi northeast of mossa intersection (FAF) was told by sck TRACON, 'small aircraft, 1 mi northeast of mossa, radar service terminated, advise cancellation of IFR this frequency or by landline within 5 mins of landing, cleared to advisory frequency.' during a preflight WX briefing was advised by oak FSS of a 'D' class NOTAM about a temporary ATCT in effect during daylight hours until the completion of the tracy air show this wkend. I queried sck (123.85 MHZ) if I should contact tcy tower, to which approach replied' uh...standby...uh, remain this frequency....' at 13.5 DME sck approach instructed us to '...contact tracy tower on...uh...121.2....' since it was VFR, we descended to 992 ft (tpa). Upon contact with tcy tower I said 'tracy tower, small aircraft 14 DME sck on the VOR-a approach.' to which the tower responded, 'small aircraft, tracy tower, make straight in runway 29, check wheels down, wind calm, altimeter 29.95.' I then advised the controller that we were on the VOR-a approach, which does not authorize straight-in approachs, but we could circle east for runway 29, to which the controller responded, 'ok...whatever...check wheels down, cleared for the option runway 29.' to which I responded, 'wheels down and welded, option 29.' no conflicts of any kind, but what a bonanza of potential violations -- for the pilot of course. There are 2 major problems here. First, sck TRACON seemed unaware that a tower was in operation at tcy, and their delay in figuring it out while telling me to remain on their frequency compressed things to the point that a conflict could have occurred if traffic was in the air traffic area. Secondly, the (apparently military) controllers seem unaware of instrument approach procedure conduct/requirements while instead being preoccupied with the gear of a fixed gear aircraft. This 'porto-tower' has been in operation for yrs on the first wkend of each month, and until recently only recognized by a class 'left' NOTAM on file with riu FSS. Now, any FSS, and hence any pilot receiving a standard briefing can find out about the tower, but if controllers at the TRACON feeding that airport and the personnel occupying the tower are in the dark there might as be no NOTAM. I would recommend better coordination between sck TRACON and tcy tower as well as assuring that tcy tower personnel are briefed on civilian IAP. Callback conversation with sck atm revealed the following information: third party callback sck facility atm. Atm stated there is a LOA between tcy ATCT and sck approach control. Tcy tower is to notify sck approach control when the tower is in operation. This was apparently done and the approach controller just forgot the tower was in operation. The stammering by the controller was probably a stall so the controller could do TRACON ATCT interfacility coordination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON VOR APCH HAS PROB WITH TRACON TWR COORD.

Narrative: CONDUCTING INST APCHS, WORKING WITH SCK TRACON. GIVEN IFR CLRNC TO TCY AS FOLLOWS: 'CLRED TO THE TCY ARPT VIA DIRECT ECA, CLRED FOR THE TCY VOR-A APCH, MAINTAIN 2000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED.' AFTER MANCO INTXN, DSNDED TO 1600 FT. 1 MI NE OF MOSSA INTXN (FAF) WAS TOLD BY SCK TRACON, 'SMA, 1 MI NE OF MOSSA, RADAR SVC TERMINATED, ADVISE CANCELLATION OF IFR THIS FREQ OR BY LANDLINE WITHIN 5 MINS OF LNDG, CLRED TO ADVISORY FREQ.' DURING A PREFLT WX BRIEFING WAS ADVISED BY OAK FSS OF A 'D' CLASS NOTAM ABOUT A TEMPORARY ATCT IN EFFECT DURING DAYLIGHT HRS UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE TRACY AIR SHOW THIS WKEND. I QUERIED SCK (123.85 MHZ) IF I SHOULD CONTACT TCY TWR, TO WHICH APCH REPLIED' UH...STANDBY...UH, REMAIN THIS FREQ....' AT 13.5 DME SCK APCH INSTRUCTED US TO '...CONTACT TRACY TWR ON...UH...121.2....' SINCE IT WAS VFR, WE DSNDED TO 992 FT (TPA). UPON CONTACT WITH TCY TWR I SAID 'TRACY TWR, SMA 14 DME SCK ON THE VOR-A APCH.' TO WHICH THE TWR RESPONDED, 'SMA, TRACY TWR, MAKE STRAIGHT IN RWY 29, CHK WHEELS DOWN, WIND CALM, ALTIMETER 29.95.' I THEN ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE WERE ON THE VOR-A APCH, WHICH DOES NOT AUTHORIZE STRAIGHT-IN APCHS, BUT WE COULD CIRCLE E FOR RWY 29, TO WHICH THE CTLR RESPONDED, 'OK...WHATEVER...CHK WHEELS DOWN, CLRED FOR THE OPTION RWY 29.' TO WHICH I RESPONDED, 'WHEELS DOWN AND WELDED, OPTION 29.' NO CONFLICTS OF ANY KIND, BUT WHAT A BONANZA OF POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS -- FOR THE PLT OF COURSE. THERE ARE 2 MAJOR PROBS HERE. FIRST, SCK TRACON SEEMED UNAWARE THAT A TWR WAS IN OP AT TCY, AND THEIR DELAY IN FIGURING IT OUT WHILE TELLING ME TO REMAIN ON THEIR FREQ COMPRESSED THINGS TO THE POINT THAT A CONFLICT COULD HAVE OCCURRED IF TFC WAS IN THE ATA. SECONDLY, THE (APPARENTLY MIL) CTLRS SEEM UNAWARE OF INST APCH PROC CONDUCT/REQUIREMENTS WHILE INSTEAD BEING PREOCCUPIED WITH THE GEAR OF A FIXED GEAR ACFT. THIS 'PORTO-TWR' HAS BEEN IN OP FOR YRS ON THE FIRST WKEND OF EACH MONTH, AND UNTIL RECENTLY ONLY RECOGNIZED BY A CLASS 'L' NOTAM ON FILE WITH RIU FSS. NOW, ANY FSS, AND HENCE ANY PLT RECEIVING A STANDARD BRIEFING CAN FIND OUT ABOUT THE TWR, BUT IF CTLRS AT THE TRACON FEEDING THAT ARPT AND THE PERSONNEL OCCUPYING THE TWR ARE IN THE DARK THERE MIGHT AS BE NO NOTAM. I WOULD RECOMMEND BETTER COORD BTWN SCK TRACON AND TCY TWR AS WELL AS ASSURING THAT TCY TWR PERSONNEL ARE BRIEFED ON CIVILIAN IAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH SCK ATM REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIRD PARTY CALLBACK SCK FACILITY ATM. ATM STATED THERE IS A LOA BTWN TCY ATCT AND SCK APCH CTL. TCY TWR IS TO NOTIFY SCK APCH CTL WHEN THE TWR IS IN OP. THIS WAS APPARENTLY DONE AND THE APCH CTLR JUST FORGOT THE TWR WAS IN OP. THE STAMMERING BY THE CTLR WAS PROBABLY A STALL SO THE CTLR COULD DO TRACON ATCT INTERFAC COORD.

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.