FLC OF A PVT MLG INADVERTENTLY ENTERED RESTR AIRSPACE DURING A VISUAL DSCNT FOR LNDG.

Date: 1999-06 · Aircraft: Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng · Phase: descent

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far

Synopsis

FLC OF A PVT MLG INADVERTENTLY ENTERED RESTR AIRSPACE DURING A VISUAL DSCNT FOR LNDG.

Narrative

ENRTE FROM THE EAST COAST TO SAF; NM; AT FL430; ZDV DSNDED US TO FL350. WE WERE GIVEN THE OPTION OF DSNDING FROM FL350 OR WAITING FOR EBOUND TFC TO PASS UNDERNEATH US. DUE TO TSTMS 80-100 NM NE OF SAF AND BUILDING CUMULUS 50-70 NM NE; I OPTED FOR A DELAYED DSCNT. THE RESULTING DSCNT AND DEV AROUND WX INTO SAF LEFT US N OF THE ARPT; BUT TOO HIGH TO MANEUVER FOR A STRAIGHT-IN VISUAL APCH TO RWY 20; THE RWY IN USE. OTHER TFC WAS ON L BASE AND JUST S OF THE ARPT. WE RPTED THE RWY IN SIGHT WHEN ABOUT 10-12 NM NNW OF SAF (AFTER DEVIATING AROUND A TSTM AND BUILDING CUMULUS CLOUDS). ZAB CLRED US FOR A VISUAL DSCNT AND APCH. WE INDICATED WE NEEDED TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN; OR SOME PORTION THEREOF; FOR DSCNT. ZAB SAID A TURN L OR R WAS OK. I WAS THE PIC AND PNF. THE PF; MY COPLT; OPTED FOR A 270 DEG TURN TO THE R. I CONCURRED; THOUGH A L TURN FOR MANEUVERING WAS MY PREFERENCE. BUT; I SAW NO REASON A R-HAND TURN WOULD NOT WORK. OUR ALT WAS PROBABLY 11500 FT MSL; DSNDING. SAF IS 6345 FT. MSA FROM SAF VOR IS 13700 FT NE; 11900 FT NW. I ADVISED ZAB ACCORDINGLY OF OUR TURN AND TOLD US TO CONTACT SAF TWR. SOON AFTER ENTRY INTO THE R-HAND TURN; TCASII TFC APPEARED ON OUR NAV DISPLAY AND TURNED A SOLID BLUE DIAMOND; FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY TURNING AMBER WITH THE ACCOMPANYING AURAL 'TFC' ALERT. I IMMEDIATELY ACQUIRED THE WHITE; HIGH WING CESSNA APCHING OUR 12 - 1 O'CLOCK POS IN THE TURN; ABOUT 1 1/2 NM DISTANCE; AND ABOUT 1500 FT BELOW US. WE SLOWED OUT DSCNT; STRAIGHTENED OUT OUR TURN; AND MANEUVERED COMFORTABLY; WITHOUT ANY PROB; ABOVE AND BEHIND (W OFF) THE E TO NEBOUND CESSNA. I ADVISED ZAB OF THE TCASII TFC AND THEY SAID IT HAD JUST POPPED UP. MY ESTIMATE OF HIS ALT WAS ABOUT 8500-9000 FT. DURING OUR MANEUVERING W AND N OF THE TFC; I LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH HIM; BUT CONTINUED TO OBSERVE HIM ON TCASII. WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT AND R TURN REF TO THE TFC AND I SUBSEQUENTLY ACQUIRED HIM VISUALLY. UPON PASSING THROUGH HIS ALT; AND APPROX 3 NM W OF HIM; WE INCREASED OUR R TURN TOWARD THE ARPT. I CALLED SANTA FE TWR WHILE STILL IN THE NBOUND PORTION OF OUR TURN; RPTED ABOUT 12 NM N (I WAS REALLY MORE NW); AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO RPT A 4 MI R BASE. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON RWY 20. WHILE TAXIING TO THE RAMP; TWR SAID WE COULD '...CALL LOS ALAMOS; IF WE WANTED TO;' AND HE GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER. AFTER DEPLANING OUR PAX AND CALLING IN ARR NUMBERS TO MY COMPANY; I BEGAN TO DIAL THE NUMBER FOR LOS ALAMOS; REALIZING I DID NOT KNOW ITS AREA CODE. AS I WAS ABOUT TO ASK THE FBO'S RECEPTIONIST; I HEARD HER REPEAT OUR REGISTRATION NUMBER TO A CALLER ON THE PHONE. SHE XFERRED THE CALL TO ME AND I WAS NOW TALKING TO LOS ALAMOS. THE FIRST QUESTION THE CALLER WANTED TO KNOW WAS WHY WE WERE FLYING OVER LOS ALAMOS RESTR AIRSPACE AND WHAT WAS THAT 'PROTUBERANCE' STICKING OUT THE BACK OF OUR AIRPLANE. I ASKED WHEN THIS PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE OCCURRED; AND HE REPLIED '...ABOUT 15 MINS AGO.' I ASKED IF LOS ALAMOS WAS N OF SANTA FE AND HE ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT AWARE I HAD DONE SO; BUT I DID NOT ARGUE ABOUT WHETHER I DID OR NOT. I ACKNOWLEDGED I HAD PROBABLY INADVERTENTLY FLOWN THROUGH R5101; THE REASON BEING OUR MANEUVERING FURTHER TO THE N AND NW THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED; DUE TO SAFELY MANEUVERING AROUND THE TCASII TFC. HE INFORMED ME THE CESSNA WAS A WHITE CARAVAN AT 8500 FT MSL MOVING E OR NE. THE CALLER'S PRIMARY CONCERN SEEMED TO BE IN REGARDS TO '...THAT BIG ANTENNA EXTENDING OFF THE BACK OF YOUR AIRPLANE.' I INFORMED HIM WE ONLY HAD STANDARD AVIONICS ANTENNAS ON THE ACFT; A NORMAL TAIL CONE; AND SOME STATIC WICKS; BUT NOTHING UNUSUAL. THEN; I REMEMBERED THE SATCOM ANTENNA ON TOP OF THE VERT STABILIZER. MAYBE; IN A TURN; THAT LOOKED LIKE THE 'PROTUBERANCE' (A PHRASE I BELIEVE HE USED) IN QUESTION. HIS MANNER TURNED MORE POLITE AND THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ANY QUESTIONS HE HAD THAT WE DID NOT RESOLVE. I APOLOGIZED FOR MY UNWITTING; INADVERTENT PENETRATION OF LOS ALAMOS RESTR AIRSPACE. I ASKED IF HE REQUIRED ANY WRITTEN RESPONSE FROM ME; AND IF HE WAS GOING TO PURSUE THE MATTER BEYOND THIS CONVERSATION. HE SAID 'NO.'

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