2022-03 · NASA ASRS report 1886409
Commercial Pilot reported communication and lack of radar services are a hindrance to safety at MBPV airport.
Lack of approach radar service creates unnecessary hazard at MBPV airport. Now functioning beyond burst traffic capacity; this single runway; no-parallel taxiway remote airfield with 4 FBOs and Air Carrier Operations cannot continue to expect safe results by the badly over-burdened ATC personnel. Constant radio calls asking numerous aircraft for multiple position reports and passing altitudes on arrival leaves no margin for routine or urgent communications. The Air Traffic Controller's inability to obtain approach; landing; departure sequence awareness due to a lack of available technology; places flight operations at serious risk of safety. No errors or deviations were made during our flight and the Air Traffic Controllers performed their work to the best of their ability. This is an attempt to bring awareness to the traffic situation and the need to improve ATC infrastructure capability at MBVP airport. The high level of 'new-to-ICAO' pilots operating in the area further complicate matters by requiring repeated radio calls in this non-radar environment. We observed the ATC individual personnel being over- tasked with managing Clearance; Ground; Tower; [and] Approach frequencies simultaneously. This workload could not safely continue in marginal weather or aircraft contingency operations. Please bring a technological upgrade (radar or other operating picture platform) to Approach and Tower operations at MBPV airport to reduce continuous radio traffic and Controller workload.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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