Narrative:

We were being vectored for the visual approach at aspen (ase). Once we had the airport in sight; we were cleared for the visual to runway 15 and switched over to tower. We were making a visual approach to runway 15 coming from the east. On approximately a 4 mi final; the tower instructed us to 'slow to our minimum approach speed and line up with the centerline of runway 15' so we proceeded to fly further west to line up since we were just east of centerline. Right after we acknowledged the tower's transmission; the tower cleared another aircraft for takeoff on runway 33. At this point; the copilot and I agreed that given our current rate of descent and speed; there was no way to land on runway 15 without being in conflict with the aircraft taking off on runway 33. Before we could contact the tower back; the tower instructed us to make an s-turn to the west. This was not possible due to the terrain. We told the tower we were unable to perform this maneuver; and turned left towards better terrain and away from the departing aircraft and did a circling approach back to runway 15. After landing; we were instructed to call the tower and talk to the supervisor. The supervisor said that he wanted to just let us know how operations are performed in and out of aspen. He also said the tower should have been more proactive in letting us know exactly what he wanted us to do. As pilots flying; we also should have been more proactive and assertive in questioning the tower's decision of letting the aircraft take off towards us. Since aspen is so busy during the winter months; there probably should be something published to let crews know ahead of time what kind of arrival and departure operations the tower expects.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LR45 ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 15 AT ASE ENCOUNTERED CONFLICT WITH DEP FROM RWY 33 AND CIRCLED TO AVOID.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AT ASPEN (ASE). ONCE WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT; WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 15 AND SWITCHED OVER TO TWR. WE WERE MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 15 COMING FROM THE E. ON APPROX A 4 MI FINAL; THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO 'SLOW TO OUR MINIMUM APCH SPD AND LINE UP WITH THE CTRLINE OF RWY 15' SO WE PROCEEDED TO FLY FURTHER W TO LINE UP SINCE WE WERE JUST E OF CTRLINE. RIGHT AFTER WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE TWR'S XMISSION; THE TWR CLRED ANOTHER ACFT FOR TKOF ON RWY 33. AT THIS POINT; THE COPLT AND I AGREED THAT GIVEN OUR CURRENT RATE OF DSCNT AND SPD; THERE WAS NO WAY TO LAND ON RWY 15 WITHOUT BEING IN CONFLICT WITH THE ACFT TAKING OFF ON RWY 33. BEFORE WE COULD CONTACT THE TWR BACK; THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE AN S-TURN TO THE W. THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO THE TERRAIN. WE TOLD THE TWR WE WERE UNABLE TO PERFORM THIS MANEUVER; AND TURNED L TOWARDS BETTER TERRAIN AND AWAY FROM THE DEPARTING ACFT AND DID A CIRCLING APCH BACK TO RWY 15. AFTER LNDG; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR AND TALK TO THE SUPVR. THE SUPVR SAID THAT HE WANTED TO JUST LET US KNOW HOW OPS ARE PERFORMED IN AND OUT OF ASPEN. HE ALSO SAID THE TWR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE IN LETTING US KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO. AS PLTS FLYING; WE ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE AND ASSERTIVE IN QUESTIONING THE TWR'S DECISION OF LETTING THE ACFT TAKE OFF TOWARDS US. SINCE ASPEN IS SO BUSY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS; THERE PROBABLY SHOULD BE SOMETHING PUBLISHED TO LET CREWS KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT KIND OF ARR AND DEP OPS THE TWR EXPECTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.