RPTED SIT OF MTR PASSING OVER AN ACR DC9 ON APPROX 2 MI FINAL. WHILE CONDUCTING AN ATC APPROVED OVERHEAD APCH MANEUVER TO THE SAME RWY. THE ACR CHK AIRMAN AND THE FAA INSPECTOR WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE SIT. ALLEGED FACILITY RESPONSE TO THE RPTR'S CALL TO THE TWR WAS THAT IS A SAFE PROC. RPTR EXPRESSED CONCERN FOR MISSED APCH WITH OVERHEAD TFC.

Date: 1997-03 · Aircraft: DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: approach

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

RPTED SIT OF MTR PASSING OVER AN ACR DC9 ON APPROX 2 MI FINAL. WHILE CONDUCTING AN ATC APPROVED OVERHEAD APCH MANEUVER TO THE SAME RWY. THE ACR CHK AIRMAN AND THE FAA INSPECTOR WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE SIT. ALLEGED FACILITY RESPONSE TO THE RPTR'S CALL TO THE TWR WAS THAT IS A SAFE PROC. RPTR EXPRESSED CONCERN FOR MISSED APCH WITH OVERHEAD TFC.

Narrative

A DC9-31 WAS LNDG ON RWY 17R AT OKC. A MIL BEECHCRAFT TWIN JET TRAINER WAS PRACTICING LNDGS FROM OVERHEAD PATTERNS. THE MTR; VECTORED TO A VISUAL FINAL; WAS LINED UP TO FOLLOW THE DC9 AND CLRED FOR AN OVERHEAD APCH. TWR SAID THEY WOULD CALL BREAK AT MID FIELD. THE MTR WAS 1000 FT ABOVE THE ACR AND PASSED OVER THE DC9 AT ABOUT 1 MI OUT WHEN THE DC9 WAS ABOUT 500 FT AGL ON FINAL. THE MTR CAME INTO VIEW AS HE WAS PASSING THE DC9 ON THE OVERHEAD APCH AND BECAME A DISTR TO THE PLTS AS 1 PLT WAS A STUDENT CAPT PERFORMING IOE FLT FOR FAA. CHK AIRMAN WAS NOT HAPPY WITH ATC NOR WAS FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR. CALLED TWR TO COMPLAIN AND DISCOVER REASON FOR THIS KIND OF HANDLING AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS SAFE AND PRACTICE WAS COMMONPLACE AT OKC. QUESTIONS OF MISSED APCH PROCS WERE ADDRESSED TO CTLR WHO ADVISED SIMPLY THAT THE PRACTICE IS A SAFE PROC AND WOULD NOT ENTERTAIN DISCUSSION OF MISSED APCHS WHICH WOULD BE DONE WITHOUT VISUAL CONTACT WITH OTHER ACFT. THIS PRACTICE VIOLATES COMMON SENSE SAFETY PRACTICE AND POSSIBLY VIOLATES MIL TRAINING POLICY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED HE HAD INTENDED TO WRITE A LETTER TO FACILITY MGR BUT HAS NOT DONE SO DUE OTHER WORK ASSOCIATED ACTIVITY. RPTR SAID HE MAY INVESTIGATE IT FURTHER AND INTENDS TO BRING UP THE SIT TO MIL PERSONNEL WHEN HE ATTENDS AN AIRSHOW MEETING. RPTR DOESN'T RECALL ANY TCASII WARNINGS AS THE TCASII WAS SET FOR TA ONLY FOR OPS BELOW 1200 FT. RPTR ALLEGES THE WATCH SUPVR WAS CTLING TFC AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.

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