Narrative:

I was the captain air carrier XXX. XXX arriving to sdf. I am writing this report because I feel that the sequencing from sdf approach; and then by sdf tower; is inadequate and relies on the pilots to call traffic in sight to make it work. We were told by approach to maintain 250 KTS until almost intercepting the final course; due to traffic behind us. (Approach told us we were #3; and to keep the speed up.) the PF would have liked to slow down sooner; being new on the airplane; but I was comfortable with keeping the speed up for a while longer; to help the sequencing. We were flying on an eastbound course; expecting the ILS to runway 35L. Approach wanted us to call our traffic that was also inbound to runway 35L; but they were northbound; and still at our 1 O'clock position. I could see the traffic; but I could also see that we were too fast to get behind them and maintain safe/adequate separation; so I told the controller that I was looking for the traffic. The controller realized that it would be his job to separate us; and ordered an immediate reduction in speed and to hold a heading of east. We slowed down the aircraft; but we were still tight behind the other traffic. It was dark and the traffic was blending in with the city lights. I was not at all comfortable with calling this traffic in sight; taking on the responsibility to separate us. The approach controller managed to put us on final and cleared us for the ILS runway 35L; then switched us to tower. The tower controller asked me if we had the traffic in sight; and I said; 'looking...' with a tone in his voice; he said that it was right in front of me; as if to say; 'how can you not see him?' I told him that (the traffic) was blending in with the city lights and that I was not going to maintain visual. To help him out; I told him that we do have the field in sight; so the controller; with tone in voice; ordered us to sidestep to runway 35R and cleared us for the visual. I find that ATC wants us to make their job easier by calling traffic in sight and releasing the crews to do their own visual separation; but as a captain; I don't think it's safe because of the amount of traffic that comes in to sdf at night. This isn't the first time that this happens and I feel as if I am punished when I refuse to call traffic in sight. The last time this happened; my aircraft was taken out of sequence and sent on a cross country downwind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT COMMENTS THAT SDF TRACON AND TOWER RELY ON ARRIVING ACFT TO SEPARATE THEMSELVES.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ACR XXX. XXX ARRIVING TO SDF. I AM WRITING THIS RPT BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THE SEQUENCING FROM SDF APCH; AND THEN BY SDF TWR; IS INADEQUATE AND RELIES ON THE PLTS TO CALL TFC IN SIGHT TO MAKE IT WORK. WE WERE TOLD BY APCH TO MAINTAIN 250 KTS UNTIL ALMOST INTERCEPTING THE FINAL COURSE; DUE TO TFC BEHIND US. (APCH TOLD US WE WERE #3; AND TO KEEP THE SPD UP.) THE PF WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SLOW DOWN SOONER; BEING NEW ON THE AIRPLANE; BUT I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH KEEPING THE SPD UP FOR A WHILE LONGER; TO HELP THE SEQUENCING. WE WERE FLYING ON AN EBOUND COURSE; EXPECTING THE ILS TO RWY 35L. APCH WANTED US TO CALL OUR TFC THAT WAS ALSO INBOUND TO RWY 35L; BUT THEY WERE NBOUND; AND STILL AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS. I COULD SEE THE TFC; BUT I COULD ALSO SEE THAT WE WERE TOO FAST TO GET BEHIND THEM AND MAINTAIN SAFE/ADEQUATE SEPARATION; SO I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC. THE CTLR REALIZED THAT IT WOULD BE HIS JOB TO SEPARATE US; AND ORDERED AN IMMEDIATE REDUCTION IN SPD AND TO HOLD A HDG OF E. WE SLOWED DOWN THE ACFT; BUT WE WERE STILL TIGHT BEHIND THE OTHER TFC. IT WAS DARK AND THE TFC WAS BLENDING IN WITH THE CITY LIGHTS. I WAS NOT AT ALL COMFORTABLE WITH CALLING THIS TFC IN SIGHT; TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SEPARATE US. THE APCH CTLR MANAGED TO PUT US ON FINAL AND CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 35L; THEN SWITCHED US TO TWR. THE TWR CTLR ASKED ME IF WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT; AND I SAID; 'LOOKING...' WITH A TONE IN HIS VOICE; HE SAID THAT IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME; AS IF TO SAY; 'HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE HIM?' I TOLD HIM THAT (THE TFC) WAS BLENDING IN WITH THE CITY LIGHTS AND THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO MAINTAIN VISUAL. TO HELP HIM OUT; I TOLD HIM THAT WE DO HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT; SO THE CTLR; WITH TONE IN VOICE; ORDERED US TO SIDESTEP TO RWY 35R AND CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL. I FIND THAT ATC WANTS US TO MAKE THEIR JOB EASIER BY CALLING TFC IN SIGHT AND RELEASING THE CREWS TO DO THEIR OWN VISUAL SEPARATION; BUT AS A CAPT; I DON'T THINK IT'S SAFE BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF TFC THAT COMES IN TO SDF AT NIGHT. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAPPENS AND I FEEL AS IF I AM PUNISHED WHEN I REFUSE TO CALL TFC IN SIGHT. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED; MY ACFT WAS TAKEN OUT OF SEQUENCE AND SENT ON A XCOUNTRY DOWNWIND.

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.