1999-09 · NASA ASRS report 449713
A CPR CAPT LABELED THE ARR PROCS ISSUED BY SAT TWR AS UNREASONABLE. WHEN AN ENG PROB DEVELOPED; THE RPTR FELT PRESSURED BY THE TWR TO DECLARE AN EMER AS IT APPEARED TO BE THEIR ONLY MEANS OF GIVING THE RPTR PRIORITY HANDLING.
UPON ARR AT SAT; WE OBSERVED THAT THEY WERE IN A SINGLE RWY OP USING RWY 3 FOR BOTH TKOFS AND LNDGS. WE WERE #5 OR #6 FOR LNDG RECEIVING VECTORS FOR A VISUAL IN VFR CONDITIONS. ATC WAS ATTEMPTING TO FEED DEPS BTWN ARRS WHICH RESULTED IN A LOT OF INFLT VECTORING AND SPD RESTRS. AFTER TURNING A 14 MI FINAL BEHIND A LEARJET; I WAS TOLD TO REDUCE TO MINIMUM AIRSPD. THE LEARJET WAS TOLD TO SPD UP. THEY RELEASED AN AIRLINER FOR TKOF JUST BEFORE THE LEAR LANDED; WHICH APPEARED TO DESTABILIZE HIS APCH; FORCING AN UNUSUALLY LONG LNDG ROLL. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO GO AROUND AND WHEN I SELECTED GAR PWR; A LOW OIL PRESSURE ANNUNCIATOR ON THE R ENG ILLUMINATED. I CLBED OUT NORMALLY; RETRACTED GEAR AND FLAPS; AND NOTIFIED ATC THAT I NEEDED AN IMMEDIATE RETURN. HE ASKED ME IF I HAD AN EMER. I SAID NOT IF YOU GIVE ME PRIORITY TO LAND. HE SAID THAT I WAS #7 FOR LNDG UNLESS I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I STILL HAD THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT; AND THE ARPT WAS AT MY 3 O'CLOCK POS AND 5 MI. SO; I DECLARED AN EMER AND TURNED FOR THE ARPT. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TALKED TO THE TWR CHIEF; AND HE WAS SATISFIED THAT IT WAS A LEGITIMATE EMER. THE LCL FBO MAINT FACILITY FOUND A BLOWN OIL PRESSURE PICKUP ON THE ENG WHICH RESULTED IN THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT; IS TO RELAY MY DISPLEASURE WITH THE WAY ATC HANDLED THE OPS THAT DAY. EVERYONE LNDG AT SAT ON RWY 3 WAS ASKED TO DO THINGS THAT WERE TOTALLY BEYOND THE SCOPE OF A NORMAL ARR. WHEN OUR PROB DEVELOPED; ATC WAS NOT ABLE TO COPE WITH IT; UNLESS I DECLARED AN EMER. I KNEW THAT THE OIL PRESSURE ANNUNCIATOR WAS PROBABLY FAULTY; BUT I STILL NEEDED TO GET ON THE GND TO VERIFY IT. ATC WOULD; OR COULD; NOT COMPLY. I HAVE BEEN FLYING 30 YRS. PLTS DO NOT LIKE TO DECLARE AN EMER UNLESS IT'S REALLY CRITICAL. ATC'S ATTITUDE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN UNNECESSARY 15 MI FINAL WITH A POTENTIALLY SICK AIRPLANE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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