Narrative:

(Fty) tower was contacted and communication established 8 mi northwest of the airport at 3000 ft MSL. We were instructed to enter right downwind for runway 26. A descent was started and a heading of about 140 degrees was flown towards the airport. Whilst passing through 2300 ft about 3 mi northwest of the airport, a fast moving cirrus aircraft was observed climbing directly towards me. I executed an abrupt steep right turn to avoid the cirrus. The cirrus was about 2000 ft away horizontally. Then the tower provided a TA. We all let the local controller know his advisory was not very timely. The local controller said to the cirrus pilot 'I thought that you were going to climb over that guy.' we then entered the traffic pattern without incident. The controllers at fty do a very poor job separating traffic. They are very overworked due to understaffing. In addition, 1 controller is quite elderly and refuses to retire -- he wants to get 50 yrs with ATC. Mistakes by controllers are rampant. They become very confrontational if a pilot requests clarification or questions instructions. In the past, I have been instructed to turn towards conflicting traffic, the tower will forget about me or often is the case the tower will ignore radio calls. These are all very unsafe sits. Fty needs to replace its contract privatized controllers with an adequate staff of well trained competent federal controllers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C152, INBOUND TO FTY, INVOLVED IN LESS THAN DESIRED SEPARATION WITH OUTBOUND ACFT STATES THAT THE TWR CTLRS AT FTY ARE UNDERSTAFFED AND OVERWORKED AND THEREFORE PROVIDING DEFICIENT ACFT SEPARATION.

Narrative: (FTY) TWR WAS CONTACTED AND COM ESTABLISHED 8 MI NW OF THE ARPT AT 3000 FT MSL. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO ENTER R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26. A DSCNT WAS STARTED AND A HDG OF ABOUT 140 DEGS WAS FLOWN TOWARDS THE ARPT. WHILST PASSING THROUGH 2300 FT ABOUT 3 MI NW OF THE ARPT, A FAST MOVING CIRRUS ACFT WAS OBSERVED CLBING DIRECTLY TOWARDS ME. I EXECUTED AN ABRUPT STEEP R TURN TO AVOID THE CIRRUS. THE CIRRUS WAS ABOUT 2000 FT AWAY HORIZLY. THEN THE TWR PROVIDED A TA. WE ALL LET THE LCL CTLR KNOW HIS ADVISORY WAS NOT VERY TIMELY. THE LCL CTLR SAID TO THE CIRRUS PLT 'I THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE GOING TO CLB OVER THAT GUY.' WE THEN ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CTLRS AT FTY DO A VERY POOR JOB SEPARATING TFC. THEY ARE VERY OVERWORKED DUE TO UNDERSTAFFING. IN ADDITION, 1 CTLR IS QUITE ELDERLY AND REFUSES TO RETIRE -- HE WANTS TO GET 50 YRS WITH ATC. MISTAKES BY CTLRS ARE RAMPANT. THEY BECOME VERY CONFRONTATIONAL IF A PLT REQUESTS CLARIFICATION OR QUESTIONS INSTRUCTIONS. IN THE PAST, I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN TOWARDS CONFLICTING TFC, THE TWR WILL FORGET ABOUT ME OR OFTEN IS THE CASE THE TWR WILL IGNORE RADIO CALLS. THESE ARE ALL VERY UNSAFE SITS. FTY NEEDS TO REPLACE ITS CONTRACT PRIVATIZED CTLRS WITH AN ADEQUATE STAFF OF WELL TRAINED COMPETENT FEDERAL CTLRS.

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.