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Challenger 601 flight crew inadvertently entered the grand canyon special rules airspace during descent for landing when they were cleared by ARTCC controller for the visual approach and handed off to the tower.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 512839 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200105 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gcn.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla.artcc tower : gcn.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Challenger CL601 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 512839 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : exited penetrated airspace |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure Chart Or Publication ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Descending for landing at gcn, ZLA handed us off to gcn tower after clearing us for a visual approach. Tower asked us if we would fly an overhead approach to runway 21 or a downwind entry. We said we would like a straight-in approach to runway 21. The tower then said 'no flying over the canyon below 14000 ft.' oops! We had already descended to 12500 ft. Didn't realize that flight over the canyon was restr to that altitude. We know now. Would be nice if center would remind pilots of the restr upon clearing them for a visual approach. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that after landing, the tower controller informed him further of the special airspace existence and chart and directive references. He now has an understanding of the airspace adjacent to the grand canyon and surrounding area.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CHALLENGER 601 FLC INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE GRAND CANYON SPECIAL RULES AIRSPACE DURING DSCNT FOR LNDG WHEN THEY WERE CLRED BY ARTCC CTLR FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND HANDED OFF TO THE TWR.
Narrative: DSNDING FOR LNDG AT GCN, ZLA HANDED US OFF TO GCN TWR AFTER CLRING US FOR A VISUAL APCH. TWR ASKED US IF WE WOULD FLY AN OVERHEAD APCH TO RWY 21 OR A DOWNWIND ENTRY. WE SAID WE WOULD LIKE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 21. THE TWR THEN SAID 'NO FLYING OVER THE CANYON BELOW 14000 FT.' OOPS! WE HAD ALREADY DSNDED TO 12500 FT. DIDN'T REALIZE THAT FLT OVER THE CANYON WAS RESTR TO THAT ALT. WE KNOW NOW. WOULD BE NICE IF CTR WOULD REMIND PLTS OF THE RESTR UPON CLRING THEM FOR A VISUAL APCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AFTER LNDG, THE TWR CTLR INFORMED HIM FURTHER OF THE SPECIAL AIRSPACE EXISTENCE AND CHART AND DIRECTIVE REFS. HE NOW HAS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE AIRSPACE ADJACENT TO THE GRAND CANYON AND SURROUNDING AREA.
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.