Narrative:

Am I alone, or is anyone else concerned about the lack of separation during visual approachs to lax. Last week we were flying our L1011 on the civet arrival to the runway 25L ILS in lax. WX was good, high scattered, 10 mi visibility, winds 220 degrees, 15-20 KTS. Typical civet arrival, 'keep the speed up (320 KTS) as long as possible.' next controller says, 'slow to 160 KTS, cleared the ILS, call the field in sight.' then he says, 'reference TCASII, a commuter is being vectored behind and above us from the south for a visual on runway 25R.' get the picture -- here we are busting our butts to make the altitude xings (don't follow the GS, as that will get you violated for sure), getting the L1011 slowed down and then we get a TCASII RA 'descend, descend' followed immediately by 'climb, climb.' when the commuter gets in formation off our right wing the TCASII stays in the 'monitor vertical speed' mode with the red arc in the level to climb range. Now please don't get me wrong, there was nothing unsafe here or I wouldn't have continued the approach (is that pc enough for the 90's) and my hats off to the commuter pilot, who did a nice job flying around and above our wake and sliding into a right wingtip formation, but come on guys and gals, is this trip necessary? We were both bouncing around in the wind and the L1011 isn't the most maneuverable airplane with gear and 33 degrees flaps (like flying a gymnasium half full of water). Must we fly like horses in a photo finish at the derby just to improve the acceptance rate at lax? We get as much or more traffic in and out of atl and dfw (similar runway layouts) without this nonsense. So, as I said, 'am I alone, or is anyone else concerned.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN L1011 PLT COMPLAINS ABOUT THE TFC SPACING DURING ARR AND APCH INTO LAX, CA.

Narrative: AM I ALONE, OR IS ANYONE ELSE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF SEPARATION DURING VISUAL APCHS TO LAX. LAST WK WE WERE FLYING OUR L1011 ON THE CIVET ARR TO THE RWY 25L ILS IN LAX. WX WAS GOOD, HIGH SCATTERED, 10 MI VISIBILITY, WINDS 220 DEGS, 15-20 KTS. TYPICAL CIVET ARR, 'KEEP THE SPD UP (320 KTS) AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.' NEXT CTLR SAYS, 'SLOW TO 160 KTS, CLRED THE ILS, CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT.' THEN HE SAYS, 'REF TCASII, A COMMUTER IS BEING VECTORED BEHIND AND ABOVE US FROM THE S FOR A VISUAL ON RWY 25R.' GET THE PICTURE -- HERE WE ARE BUSTING OUR BUTTS TO MAKE THE ALT XINGS (DON'T FOLLOW THE GS, AS THAT WILL GET YOU VIOLATED FOR SURE), GETTING THE L1011 SLOWED DOWN AND THEN WE GET A TCASII RA 'DSND, DSND' FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY 'CLB, CLB.' WHEN THE COMMUTER GETS IN FORMATION OFF OUR R WING THE TCASII STAYS IN THE 'MONITOR VERT SPD' MODE WITH THE RED ARC IN THE LEVEL TO CLB RANGE. NOW PLEASE DON'T GET ME WRONG, THERE WAS NOTHING UNSAFE HERE OR I WOULDN'T HAVE CONTINUED THE APCH (IS THAT PC ENOUGH FOR THE 90'S) AND MY HATS OFF TO THE COMMUTER PLT, WHO DID A NICE JOB FLYING AROUND AND ABOVE OUR WAKE AND SLIDING INTO A R WINGTIP FORMATION, BUT COME ON GUYS AND GALS, IS THIS TRIP NECESSARY? WE WERE BOTH BOUNCING AROUND IN THE WIND AND THE L1011 ISN'T THE MOST MANEUVERABLE AIRPLANE WITH GEAR AND 33 DEGS FLAPS (LIKE FLYING A GYMNASIUM HALF FULL OF WATER). MUST WE FLY LIKE HORSES IN A PHOTO FINISH AT THE DERBY JUST TO IMPROVE THE ACCEPTANCE RATE AT LAX? WE GET AS MUCH OR MORE TFC IN AND OUT OF ATL AND DFW (SIMILAR RWY LAYOUTS) WITHOUT THIS NONSENSE. SO, AS I SAID, 'AM I ALONE, OR IS ANYONE ELSE CONCERNED.'

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.