INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI FLYING LAX SFRA IS CHASTISED FOR NOT FLYING THE SMO RADIAL 132 DEG.
Synopsis
INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI FLYING LAX SFRA IS CHASTISED FOR NOT FLYING THE SMO RADIAL 132 DEG.
Narrative
WHILE ON A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT; I WAS INSTRUCTING MY STUDENT ON THE PROCS FOR TRANSITTING THE LOS ANGELES TCA. WE OBTAINED A SHORELINE RTE TRANSITION FROM THE VICINITY OF HAWTHORNE ARPT TO GO TO THE SANTA MONICA ARPT AND LAND. OUR NEXT LEG TO OUR DEST; TORRANCE ARPT; WAS TO BE VIA THE LOS ANGELES SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA. WE DEPARTED SANTA MONICA AND CLBED OVER THE COASTLINE N OF SANTA MONICA TO 3500 MSL AND HEADED S EASTERLY TOWARD TORRANCE. I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO USE THE SANTA MONICA 132 RADIAL AS A REF; KEEPING IT TO THE L OF US; AND TO REMAIN BTWN THE SHORELINE AND THE 132 RADIAL. WE WERE FLYING OVER LAX WHEN A CALL WAS MADE ON 128.55 STATING THAT AN ACFT WAS AT 3500 FT OVER THE WATER. I LOOKED TO OUR R FOR THE ACFT AND SAW NONE. I ALSO LOOKED DOWN; DIRECTLY BELOW US; AND ASCERTAINED THAT WE WERE OVER THE RWYS AT LAX JUST W OF MIDFIELD. UPON LNDG AT TORRANCE I WAS TOLD BY GND CTL THAT A LOS ANGELES CTLR HAD SAID THAT OUR ACFT WAS AT AN IMPROPER ALT FOR THE SHORELINE RTE AND THAT FOR THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA WE SHOULD USE THE SMO 132 RADIAL. I BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR WAS NOT CLR ON THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA GUIDELINES. SPECIFICALLY; 'PLTS SHALL NAVIGATE VIA THE SANTA MONICA 132 RADIAL; REMAINING BTWN THE SAN DIEGO FREEWAY AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN SHORELINE AT ALL TIMES.' SINCE THERE CAN BE AS MUCH AS 50 KTS SPD DIFFERENTIAL IN THE AIRSPDS OF ACFT USING THIS AIRSPACE; I INSTRUCT MY STUDENTS TO STAY BTWN THE 132 RADIAL AND THE SAN DIEGO FREEWAY AT 4500 FT MSL ON THE NW TRANSIT AND BTWN THE SHORELINE AND THE 132 RADIAL AT 3500 FT MSL ON THE SE TRANSIT. THE WAY THE LOS ANGELES CTLR'S CONCERN WAS PASSED ON TO ME; IT WAS IMPLIED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE 132 RADIAL. IN VIEW OF THE POSSIBLE AIRSPD VARIATIONS ALLOWED IN THAT AREA; I FEEL THAT THE CTLRS' DEFINITION WAS TOO RIGID AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOR UNCTLED FLTS THROUGH A CORRIDOR WHICH IS 3-4 NM WIDE. THIS RESTRICTIVE CHANNELING COULD RESULT IN SLOWER ACFT BEING OVERTAKEN AND HIT BY FASTER ACFT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CONCERNED CTLR WAS A PLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW UP SINCE RPT SUBMITTED. FEELS IT MAY HAVE BEEN A TRAINEE ON DUTY WHO IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH PROCS FOR SFRA. THE FREQ IN USE IS ASSIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ACFT COM WITH EACH OTHER WITHIN THIS CORRIDOR. NO COM WITH ATC REQUIRED. IF HE HAD BEEN USING THE SHORELINE RTE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ATC ALL THE WHILE. SINCE HE HAD THE RWYS IN SIGHT BELOW AND TO THE R HE COULD HARDLY BE OVER THE WATER/SHORELINE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.