Small transport made unauthorized three sixty degree turn on final approach and tower unable to sequ...

Attributes
ACN	91675
Time
Date	198808
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pfn
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pam tower : pfn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing : go around
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	91675
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4500 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flying scheduled IFR into pfn atlanta center hands you off to tyndall AFB approach which apparently handles pfn approach. These people are very good if it concerns military aircraft. Once they start handling civilian scheduled carriers things get a little different. They think we can put the aircraft on the nose and descend 14000' in 10 mi. This is what happened 7/fri/88. As a result, we ended up on short final at about 4000' AGL. After we were turned over to pfn tower control, she was very busy because she was the only one in the tower at that time. Handling several aircraft on several different frequencys. (Tower, ground and clearance) which to me is a hazardous situation. In our situation we had to make a 360 turn on final to loose some altitude. We informed the tower, but she was too busy on another frequency. We turned anyway. So then the tower sent us northbound and made us number 2 for landing. We didn't get an assigned altitude or heading. Then we were switched back to approach control and he advised us of traffic 10 O'clock less than a mi and for us to climb rapidly to avoid collision. The traffic was a low wing single engine going toward pfn airport that the tower didn't know about because she was too busy handling all these different frequencys.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT MADE UNAUTH THREE SIXTY DEGREE TURN ON FINAL APCH AND TWR UNABLE TO SEQUENCE ACFT WITH OTHER TRAFFIC. APCH CTLR ADVISED SMT OF SMA TRAFFIC AND ACFT HAD CLOSE PROX.

Narrative: FLYING SCHEDULED IFR INTO PFN ATLANTA CTR HANDS YOU OFF TO TYNDALL AFB APCH WHICH APPARENTLY HANDLES PFN APCH. THESE PEOPLE ARE VERY GOOD IF IT CONCERNS MIL ACFT. ONCE THEY START HANDLING CIVILIAN SCHEDULED CARRIERS THINGS GET A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THEY THINK WE CAN PUT THE ACFT ON THE NOSE AND DSND 14000' IN 10 MI. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED 7/FRI/88. AS A RESULT, WE ENDED UP ON SHORT FINAL AT ABOUT 4000' AGL. AFTER WE WERE TURNED OVER TO PFN TWR CTL, SHE WAS VERY BUSY BECAUSE SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE TWR AT THAT TIME. HANDLING SEVERAL ACFT ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT FREQS. (TWR, GND AND CLRNC) WHICH TO ME IS A HAZARDOUS SIT. IN OUR SIT WE HAD TO MAKE A 360 TURN ON FINAL TO LOOSE SOME ALT. WE INFORMED THE TWR, BUT SHE WAS TOO BUSY ON ANOTHER FREQ. WE TURNED ANYWAY. SO THEN THE TWR SENT US NBOUND AND MADE US NUMBER 2 FOR LNDG. WE DIDN'T GET AN ASSIGNED ALT OR HDG. THEN WE WERE SWITCHED BACK TO APCH CTL AND HE ADVISED US OF TFC 10 O'CLOCK LESS THAN A MI AND FOR US TO CLB RAPIDLY TO AVOID COLLISION. THE TFC WAS A LOW WING SINGLE ENG GOING TOWARD PFN ARPT THAT THE TWR DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT BECAUSE SHE WAS TOO BUSY HANDLING ALL THESE DIFFERENT FREQS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

Small transport made unauthorized three sixty degree turn on final approach and tower unable to sequence aircraft with other traffic. Approach controller advised small transport of small aircraft traffic and aircraft had close proximity.