37000 Feet

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Slc controller voiced concern regarding two VFR transition routes that conflict with potential go-around traffic; the reporter suggestions both routes be discontinued.

Narrative:

We have a VFR arrival and departure route that goes over the approach ends of our runways putting both the VFR aircraft and the passenger arrival aircraft in danger in the event of a go-around. Slc has been doing this for years and the training we received was that when we have go arounds you just do the best you can; but if someone dies its not your fault. After some recent harrowing misses the facility has decided we are responsible for separating the go-around from the VFR overflight. It may seem cynical not to fight for safety unless you are being held responsible for someone else's bad plan; but the FAA; 'at least at slc'; has a way of punishing critics and there are only so many causes anyone has time for. The controllers working the runways are too busy during peak periods to be aware of the vfrs. They have no authority to deny VFR's transitioning through the airspace. Management says it is safe because nobody has died yet; but I think we should assess this procedure like we would if there had been a collision. Would the NTSB say this is a safe procedure? Even during the safest operation; sometimes bad things happen; or would they say that it was only a matter of time and that it was completely avoidable. Recommendation; discontinue the barn transition and the I-80 transition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SLC Controller voiced concern regarding two VFR transition routes that conflict with potential go-around traffic; the reporter suggestions both routes be discontinued.

Narrative: We have a VFR arrival and departure route that goes over the approach ends of our runways putting both the VFR aircraft and the passenger arrival aircraft in danger in the event of a go-around. SLC has been doing this for years and the training we received was that when we have go arounds you just do the best you can; but if someone dies its not your fault. After some recent harrowing misses the facility has decided we are responsible for separating the go-around from the VFR overflight. It may seem cynical not to fight for safety unless you are being held responsible for someone else's bad plan; but the FAA; 'at least at SLC'; has a way of punishing critics and there are only so many causes anyone has time for. The controllers working the runways are too busy during peak periods to be aware of the VFRs. They have no authority to deny VFR's transitioning through the airspace. Management says it is safe because nobody has died yet; but I think we should assess this procedure like we would if there had been a collision. Would the NTSB say this is a safe procedure? Even during the safest operation; sometimes bad things happen; or would they say that it was only a matter of time and that it was completely avoidable. Recommendation; discontinue the barn transition and the I-80 transition.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.