Narrative:

On a VFR flight plan in an small aircraft from valdez, ak, to cordova, ak, I was on final for runway 9 cordova airport at approximately XX20 ak daylight time. As I was on short final, an airlines medium large transport called traffic, breaking off his approach to runway 9 and going around. If I had known he was inbound, I would have planned to be #2 to land after the jet. Traffic calls in cordova are affected by the proximity of city field and main- smith airport. CTAF for city is 122.5 and smith is 123.6. The city field is barely 10 mi west of smith. Both fields are about 100 ft asl though separated by a range of hills of about 3000 ft elevation. A gap through the hills borders a lake, along which runs a highway from town past 13 mi airport (smith). Local practice when inbound from the west is to call city traffic at about 10 mi out on 122.5 and switch to 123.6 at the gap to call cordova-smith airport traffic. That is the procedure I used, and heard no response on either frequency that day. Consequently, it was with considerable surprise and consternation to learn of the traffic conflict to which I had contributed. I was also thankful for the alert crew of the jet. Another factor in such possible traffic problems has been the recent closure of cordova FSS, with the opening of the automated FSS located in juneau. Although the AFSS personnel are helpful, it is clear that they are very busy and we have to standby (at 120K or whatever) on frequency for a response. There is nowhere near the level of service formerly available. The mix of frequencys at the time of changeover to the AFSS also created problems, which were partly resolved. The use of separate ctafs for airports in close proximity should be reviewed. Additionally, we can call a third frequency (135.65) now for real time WX/wind update, which I did that day. Even with 2 radios, which not all small airplanes have, confusion can result. Monitoring both frequencys from 10-15 mi out and making the usual radio calls, I heard no other traffic, and received no acknowledgment from the AFSS. With the multiplicity of frequencys, I could have been talking to WX and missed other calls during that brief exchange. Whatever the supposed benefits of an AFSS in ak, safety is not one of them. Hence forth, when inbound to cordova smith from the west, I will monitor the CTAF from at least 20 mi out. En route I will monitor the appropriate center or approach frequency for any IFR inbounds in order to be forewarned of possible conflicts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he feels closure of the FSS was a major mistake. At least all aircraft were talking on 1 frequency when operational. Now he feels that juneau FSS is just too darn busy to handle this added traffic situation. Many local pilots protested the closure but to no avail. Reporter solution is to utilize 1 unicom frequency for the 2 airports. At least all communication would be heard by both airports' traffic. Other pilots he has spoken with agree this would help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON APCH UNAWARE OF MLG ALSO ON APCH. MLG MAKES GAR.

Narrative: ON A VFR FLT PLAN IN AN SMA FROM VALDEZ, AK, TO CORDOVA, AK, I WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 9 CORDOVA ARPT AT APPROX XX20 AK DAYLIGHT TIME. AS I WAS ON SHORT FINAL, AN AIRLINES MLG CALLED TFC, BREAKING OFF HIS APCH TO RWY 9 AND GOING AROUND. IF I HAD KNOWN HE WAS INBOUND, I WOULD HAVE PLANNED TO BE #2 TO LAND AFTER THE JET. TFC CALLS IN CORDOVA ARE AFFECTED BY THE PROX OF CITY FIELD AND MAIN- SMITH ARPT. CTAF FOR CITY IS 122.5 AND SMITH IS 123.6. THE CITY FIELD IS BARELY 10 MI W OF SMITH. BOTH FIELDS ARE ABOUT 100 FT ASL THOUGH SEPARATED BY A RANGE OF HILLS OF ABOUT 3000 FT ELEVATION. A GAP THROUGH THE HILLS BORDERS A LAKE, ALONG WHICH RUNS A HWY FROM TOWN PAST 13 MI ARPT (SMITH). LCL PRACTICE WHEN INBOUND FROM THE W IS TO CALL CITY TFC AT ABOUT 10 MI OUT ON 122.5 AND SWITCH TO 123.6 AT THE GAP TO CALL CORDOVA-SMITH ARPT TFC. THAT IS THE PROC I USED, AND HEARD NO RESPONSE ON EITHER FREQ THAT DAY. CONSEQUENTLY, IT WAS WITH CONSIDERABLE SURPRISE AND CONSTERNATION TO LEARN OF THE TFC CONFLICT TO WHICH I HAD CONTRIBUTED. I WAS ALSO THANKFUL FOR THE ALERT CREW OF THE JET. ANOTHER FACTOR IN SUCH POSSIBLE TFC PROBS HAS BEEN THE RECENT CLOSURE OF CORDOVA FSS, WITH THE OPENING OF THE AUTOMATED FSS LOCATED IN JUNEAU. ALTHOUGH THE AFSS PERSONNEL ARE HELPFUL, IT IS CLR THAT THEY ARE VERY BUSY AND WE HAVE TO STANDBY (AT 120K OR WHATEVER) ON FREQ FOR A RESPONSE. THERE IS NOWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL OF SVC FORMERLY AVAILABLE. THE MIX OF FREQS AT THE TIME OF CHANGEOVER TO THE AFSS ALSO CREATED PROBS, WHICH WERE PARTLY RESOLVED. THE USE OF SEPARATE CTAFS FOR ARPTS IN CLOSE PROX SHOULD BE REVIEWED. ADDITIONALLY, WE CAN CALL A THIRD FREQ (135.65) NOW FOR REAL TIME WX/WIND UPDATE, WHICH I DID THAT DAY. EVEN WITH 2 RADIOS, WHICH NOT ALL SMALL AIRPLANES HAVE, CONFUSION CAN RESULT. MONITORING BOTH FREQS FROM 10-15 MI OUT AND MAKING THE USUAL RADIO CALLS, I HEARD NO OTHER TFC, AND RECEIVED NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT FROM THE AFSS. WITH THE MULTIPLICITY OF FREQS, I COULD HAVE BEEN TALKING TO WX AND MISSED OTHER CALLS DURING THAT BRIEF EXCHANGE. WHATEVER THE SUPPOSED BENEFITS OF AN AFSS IN AK, SAFETY IS NOT ONE OF THEM. HENCE FORTH, WHEN INBOUND TO CORDOVA SMITH FROM THE W, I WILL MONITOR THE CTAF FROM AT LEAST 20 MI OUT. ENRTE I WILL MONITOR THE APPROPRIATE CTR OR APCH FREQ FOR ANY IFR INBOUNDS IN ORDER TO BE FOREWARNED OF POSSIBLE CONFLICTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE FEELS CLOSURE OF THE FSS WAS A MAJOR MISTAKE. AT LEAST ALL ACFT WERE TALKING ON 1 FREQ WHEN OPERATIONAL. NOW HE FEELS THAT JUNEAU FSS IS JUST TOO DARN BUSY TO HANDLE THIS ADDED TFC SIT. MANY LCL PLTS PROTESTED THE CLOSURE BUT TO NO AVAIL. RPTR SOLUTION IS TO UTILIZE 1 UNICOM FREQ FOR THE 2 ARPTS. AT LEAST ALL COM WOULD BE HEARD BY BOTH ARPTS' TFC. OTHER PLTS HE HAS SPOKEN WITH AGREE THIS WOULD HELP.

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.