ATC HANDLING CTLR BEHAVIOR UNPROFESSIONAL.

Date: 1992-06 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear · Phase: approach

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

ATC HANDLING CTLR BEHAVIOR UNPROFESSIONAL.

Narrative

I FLEW FROM NY TO ANCHORAGE; AK; WITH ANOTHER PLT IN MY SMA. NEITHER OF US ARE HIGH TIME PLTS BUT WE ARE BOTH INST RATED. WE ARRIVED IN ANCHORAGE ON THE 5TH AFTERNOON; TIRED. ANCHORAGE HAS NUMEROUS ARPTS IN THE VICINITY. WE ELECTED TO HEAD FOR INTL AND INFORMED THE CTLR THERE; WELL IN ADVANCE; THAT WE WERE COMING IN FROM THE N FOR LNDG. HE TOLD US TO FOLLOW THE E BANK OF THE RIVER AND HE WOULD GET BACK TO US. HE DIDN'T. AFTER WAITING QUITE SOME TIME AND FEELING CONFUSED BY ALL THE ARPTS WE COULD SEE; WE CALLED AND ASKED FOR A HDG. THE CTLR SAID TO FLY TO LAKE HOOD; AND THEN TURN R AT THE POST OFFICE. WE BOTH SEARCHED BUT COULD FIND NEITHER LAKE HOOD NOR THE POST OFFICE. I WAS AT THE CTLS; THE OTHER PLT WHO WAS WORKING THE RADIOS; CALLED AND EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE FROM NY; AND UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TERRITORY; AND COULDN'T SPOT THE LAKE LET ALONE A POST OFFICE; AND AGAIN REQUESTED A HDG. THE CTLR THEN BECAME VERY ANNOYED AND RUDE AND STARTED LECTURING US ON THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD LAND AND GET A MAP AND FIND OUT WHERE EVERYTHING WAS IN THAT AREA; AND THAT EVERYONE THERE KNEW WHERE THE POST OFFICE WAS. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO LAND BUT HE STILL HADN'T GIVEN US A HDG AND WE WERE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO THE ARPT. AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ENDLESS SILENCE; THE CTLR CAME BACK ON THE RADIO; AND IN A CURT TONE; GAVE US DIRECTIONS AND TOLD US ON WHAT RWY TO LAND. WE DID; GRATEFUL TO BE DOWN; BUT ANGRY AT THE TREATMENT WE HAD RECEIVED. 2 DAYS LATER; TAKING OFF FROM ANCHORAGE ON THE RETURN JOURNEY; I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER CTLR TO STAY BELOW 1200 FT UNTIL AFTER I PASSED THE 'PEANUT FARM.' OF COURSE NO PEANUT FARM WAS VISIBLE TO US. AFTER INFORMING THE CTLR THAT WE WERE STRANGERS; HE AT LEAST IMMEDIATELY TOLD US WHICH HDG TO FLY AND HOW LONG TO STAY BELOW 1200 FT. I AM WRITING NOT ONLY TO POINT OUT THE FIRST CTLR'S RUDENESS; BUT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THESE KINDS OF DIRECTIONS ARE DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. THE FIRST CTLR'S REFUSAL TO HELP PUT US AND PERHAPS OTHER PLTS IN THE AIR AT RISK. AT NO OTHER ARPT IS ONE DIRECTED TO FLY TO A POST OFFICE OR A PEANUT FARM; OR ANY OTHER LCL LANDMARK. IT IS TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATED SHE HAD WRITTEN A LETTER TO THE FAA HEADQUARTERS AND HAD RECEIVED A CALL AND FOLLOWUP FROM THE FAA FACILITY. RPTR WAS INFORMED BY THE ANALYST THAT IN THE FUTURE; FLYING INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT; LET THE CTLR KNOW YOU ARE NOT A LCL PLT. RPTR WAS INFORMED IT IS STANDARD FOR CTL TWRS TO USE LCL LANDMARKS AS RPTING POINTS. RPTR STATED THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.