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Flight crew of a cpr canadair challenger CL604 (CL60) complains of ATC handling procedures of traffic watch small aircraft aircraft cruising in traffic pattern near other aircraft. Caused TCASII TA during downwind leg.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 425760 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199901 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bed |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 425760 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
The traffic pattern for heavy turbines is 1800 ft MSL, other turbines 1500 ft MSL. Traffic spotters get cleared into class D at 1500 ft MSL. When runway 29 is in use, the traffic spotters are in the jet pattern. A conflict occurs! We had been cleared for a right downwind, runway 29, and cleared to land. A traffic spotter was at 1500 ft, following route 128. This highway is about 1/2 mi off final, and angles into the base leg. We knew the basic location of the spotter, and TCASII helped confirm this with numerous traffic alerts. Due to the lights on the highway and lights of the city, it was very difficult to visually spot the aircraft. The traffic spotters need to be at 2000-2300 ft MSL when the runway 29 pattern is in use. Bedford's class D runs up to 2400 ft, but boston approach seems to run it at 2000 ft. This may be why the tower keeps the spotters down low. Aircraft in the landing phase of flight have right-of-way. It is not safe to have a heavy jet trying to rearrange a stabilized pattern and approach for a traffic spotter.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A CPR CANADAIR CHALLENGER CL604 (CL60) COMPLAINS OF ATC HANDLING PROCS OF TFC WATCH SMA ACFT CRUISING IN TFC PATTERN NEAR OTHER ACFT. CAUSED TCASII TA DURING DOWNWIND LEG.
Narrative: THE TFC PATTERN FOR HVY TURBINES IS 1800 FT MSL, OTHER TURBINES 1500 FT MSL. TFC SPOTTERS GET CLRED INTO CLASS D AT 1500 FT MSL. WHEN RWY 29 IS IN USE, THE TFC SPOTTERS ARE IN THE JET PATTERN. A CONFLICT OCCURS! WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A R DOWNWIND, RWY 29, AND CLRED TO LAND. A TFC SPOTTER WAS AT 1500 FT, FOLLOWING RTE 128. THIS HWY IS ABOUT 1/2 MI OFF FINAL, AND ANGLES INTO THE BASE LEG. WE KNEW THE BASIC LOCATION OF THE SPOTTER, AND TCASII HELPED CONFIRM THIS WITH NUMEROUS TFC ALERTS. DUE TO THE LIGHTS ON THE HWY AND LIGHTS OF THE CITY, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO VISUALLY SPOT THE ACFT. THE TFC SPOTTERS NEED TO BE AT 2000-2300 FT MSL WHEN THE RWY 29 PATTERN IS IN USE. BEDFORD'S CLASS D RUNS UP TO 2400 FT, BUT BOSTON APCH SEEMS TO RUN IT AT 2000 FT. THIS MAY BE WHY THE TWR KEEPS THE SPOTTERS DOWN LOW. ACFT IN THE LNDG PHASE OF FLT HAVE RIGHT-OF-WAY. IT IS NOT SAFE TO HAVE A HVY JET TRYING TO REARRANGE A STABILIZED PATTERN AND APCH FOR A TFC SPOTTER.
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.