Narrative:

On a flight from buf to jfk, a traffic conflict occurred while on the pwl 1 arrival. This happens almost every time we come in on this arrival and is much worse on wkends. Our altitude is too low at 4000 ft. It would be much better to keep us at 10000 ft and run us farther east over the water and parallel the coast on down to jfk. There is going to be a midair if this isn't changed! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: when asked about the TCASII RA, the reporter (captain) stated that this was not the first one, and that he could give an example of this same thing every single wkend. The reporter takes issue with the fact that the traffic control seems to continue to be conducted in the same manner, in spite of all the conflicts and related complaints. (The arrival plan keeps all the commuters down low, at a high speed, and mixes them with all sorts of uncontrolled VFR traffic.) the reporter (PF) saw this conflict coming. The flight crew's aircraft was level at 4000 ft and the display was showing the intruder at 200-500 ft above and between 11:30 and 12 O'clock, when the RA was received. The captain responded, following the TCASII commands down to 3000 ft. When the controller was informed of the flight crew's evasive action, the controller simply acknowledged, as if this was nothing new. Reporter adds, 'and this was nothing new.' this captain feels that without better information, he must respond to an RA. In the winter months, in WX, and on low visibility days he has difficulty gaining visual acquisition of traffic. The controller calling the traffic, or the other aircraft having our aircraft in sight, are not good enough reasons not to respond to an RA. Supplemental information from acn 344316: I do this same arrival 20 times a month. Every time I receive at least 1 TA, if not more. The arrival brings us down to 4000 ft, about 70 mi from jfk (our destination). We are doing 240 KIAS mixing with all types of VFR traffic that is not talking to anyone. Callback conversation with reporter acn 344316 revealed the following information: now, an extra 4 or 5 flts from the reporter's company are also following the same pawling 1 arrival as a result of a routing change. This route adds an additional 40 mins on to the block time, and when flying in to jfk, this takes the 1 hour scheduled ground time down to only 20 mins. The reporter's flts have been departing late because 20 mins is not enough ground time at jfk. The primary problem, though, is the continual traffic conflicts. In 3-4 yrs of flying this airspace, the reporter (first officer) has received at least 15 RA's. The conflicts mostly are a result of the high density of VFR corp traffic operating in the vicinity of white plains and light training aircraft around bridgeport. Reporter believes that if ATC kept him up at 10000 ft and brought him down over hto to follow the coastline in, that it would save fuel, time, and above all -- lives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMUTER FLC RPTS TAKING EVASIVE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA THAT THEY RECEIVED WHILE ON THE PAWLING 1 ARR. THE FLC ALSO RPTS THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THEY ARE OFTEN FLYING AT SPDS CLOSE TO 250 KTS AND IN THE VICINITY OF UNCTLED VFR TFC WHILE ON THE ARR ROUTING INTO NEW YORK'S CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM BUF TO JFK, A TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED WHILE ON THE PWL 1 ARR. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY TIME WE COME IN ON THIS ARR AND IS MUCH WORSE ON WKENDS. OUR ALT IS TOO LOW AT 4000 FT. IT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER TO KEEP US AT 10000 FT AND RUN US FARTHER E OVER THE WATER AND PARALLEL THE COAST ON DOWN TO JFK. THERE IS GOING TO BE A MIDAIR IF THIS ISN'T CHANGED! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE TCASII RA, THE RPTR (CAPT) STATED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST ONE, AND THAT HE COULD GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS SAME THING EVERY SINGLE WKEND. THE RPTR TAKES ISSUE WITH THE FACT THAT THE TFC CTL SEEMS TO CONTINUE TO BE CONDUCTED IN THE SAME MANNER, IN SPITE OF ALL THE CONFLICTS AND RELATED COMPLAINTS. (THE ARR PLAN KEEPS ALL THE COMMUTERS DOWN LOW, AT A HIGH SPD, AND MIXES THEM WITH ALL SORTS OF UNCTLED VFR TFC.) THE RPTR (PF) SAW THIS CONFLICT COMING. THE FLC'S ACFT WAS LEVEL AT 4000 FT AND THE DISPLAY WAS SHOWING THE INTRUDER AT 200-500 FT ABOVE AND BTWN 11:30 AND 12 O'CLOCK, WHEN THE RA WAS RECEIVED. THE CAPT RESPONDED, FOLLOWING THE TCASII COMMANDS DOWN TO 3000 FT. WHEN THE CTLR WAS INFORMED OF THE FLC'S EVASIVE ACTION, THE CTLR SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGED, AS IF THIS WAS NOTHING NEW. RPTR ADDS, 'AND THIS WAS NOTHING NEW.' THIS CAPT FEELS THAT WITHOUT BETTER INFO, HE MUST RESPOND TO AN RA. IN THE WINTER MONTHS, IN WX, AND ON LOW VISIBILITY DAYS HE HAS DIFFICULTY GAINING VISUAL ACQUISITION OF TFC. THE CTLR CALLING THE TFC, OR THE OTHER ACFT HAVING OUR ACFT IN SIGHT, ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH REASONS NOT TO RESPOND TO AN RA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 344316: I DO THIS SAME ARR 20 TIMES A MONTH. EVERY TIME I RECEIVE AT LEAST 1 TA, IF NOT MORE. THE ARR BRINGS US DOWN TO 4000 FT, ABOUT 70 MI FROM JFK (OUR DEST). WE ARE DOING 240 KIAS MIXING WITH ALL TYPES OF VFR TFC THAT IS NOT TALKING TO ANYONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 344316 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NOW, AN EXTRA 4 OR 5 FLTS FROM THE RPTR'S COMPANY ARE ALSO FOLLOWING THE SAME PAWLING 1 ARR AS A RESULT OF A ROUTING CHANGE. THIS RTE ADDS AN ADDITIONAL 40 MINS ON TO THE BLOCK TIME, AND WHEN FLYING IN TO JFK, THIS TAKES THE 1 HR SCHEDULED GND TIME DOWN TO ONLY 20 MINS. THE RPTR'S FLTS HAVE BEEN DEPARTING LATE BECAUSE 20 MINS IS NOT ENOUGH GND TIME AT JFK. THE PRIMARY PROB, THOUGH, IS THE CONTINUAL TFC CONFLICTS. IN 3-4 YRS OF FLYING THIS AIRSPACE, THE RPTR (FO) HAS RECEIVED AT LEAST 15 RA'S. THE CONFLICTS MOSTLY ARE A RESULT OF THE HIGH DENSITY OF VFR CORP TFC OPERATING IN THE VICINITY OF WHITE PLAINS AND LIGHT TRAINING ACFT AROUND BRIDGEPORT. RPTR BELIEVES THAT IF ATC KEPT HIM UP AT 10000 FT AND BROUGHT HIM DOWN OVER HTO TO FOLLOW THE COASTLINE IN, THAT IT WOULD SAVE FUEL, TIME, AND ABOVE ALL -- LIVES.

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.