VFR PA31 pilot arriving hpn expressed concern with TRACON's late xfer to the tower.

Attributes
ACN	598260
Time
Date	200311
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hpn.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon tower : hpn.tower tower : lax.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-31T-1 Cheyenne I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern arrival : vfr arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon tower : hpn.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Challenger Jet Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : charted visual
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 3000
ASRS Report	598260
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

New york approach has habit of keeping inbound traffic for hpn on approach frequency until in or almost in hpn traffic pattern. Makes it difficult to develop 'big picture' of traffic flow. We were given customary tappanzee to left base runway 34 instructions by approach (and kept high requiring maximum comfortable descent rate for unpressurized aircraft). Approach turned us over to tower when established on left base, and tower cleared to land in front of challenger on 6 mi final. Spacing appeared tight based on our mode south display of traffic, and following traffic was forced to do 360 degree turn for spacing. (We received TA on short final from mode south due to following traffic.) I believe that aircraft was on sound visual 34 approach and was working another approach frequency before going to tower. He was on tower frequency when we were switched. Approach should hand VFR traffic to tower earlier than base leg! (We called twice to ask to go to tower before approach would turn us over.)

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR PA31 PLT ARRIVING HPN EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH TRACON'S LATE XFER TO THE TWR.

Narrative: NEW YORK APCH HAS HABIT OF KEEPING INBOUND TFC FOR HPN ON APCH FREQ UNTIL IN OR ALMOST IN HPN TFC PATTERN. MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP 'BIG PICTURE' OF TFC FLOW. WE WERE GIVEN CUSTOMARY TAPPANZEE TO L BASE RWY 34 INSTRUCTIONS BY APCH (AND KEPT HIGH REQUIRING MAX COMFORTABLE DSCNT RATE FOR UNPRESSURIZED ACFT). APCH TURNED US OVER TO TWR WHEN ESTABLISHED ON L BASE, AND TWR CLRED TO LAND IN FRONT OF CHALLENGER ON 6 MI FINAL. SPACING APPEARED TIGHT BASED ON OUR MODE S DISPLAY OF TFC, AND FOLLOWING TFC WAS FORCED TO DO 360 DEG TURN FOR SPACING. (WE RECEIVED TA ON SHORT FINAL FROM MODE S DUE TO FOLLOWING TFC.) I BELIEVE THAT ACFT WAS ON SOUND VISUAL 34 APCH AND WAS WORKING ANOTHER APCH FREQ BEFORE GOING TO TWR. HE WAS ON TWR FREQ WHEN WE WERE SWITCHED. APCH SHOULD HAND VFR TFC TO TWR EARLIER THAN BASE LEG! (WE CALLED TWICE TO ASK TO GO TO TWR BEFORE APCH WOULD TURN US OVER.)

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.