C177 PVT PLT COMPLAINS OF FREQ AND TFC CONGESTION AT DXR.

Date: 1999-12 · Aircraft: Cardinal 177/177RG

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown|other-congestion-at-airport-stepped-on-frequencies-difficult-to-fly-and-land-safely

Synopsis

C177 PVT PLT COMPLAINS OF FREQ AND TFC CONGESTION AT DXR.

Narrative

WAS APCHING DANBURY FROM SE FOR LNDG. CALLED TWR 12 MI OUT WITH MY INTENTIONS. WAS TOLD BY TWR 'RPT 3 MI R BASE FOR RWY 35.' I ACKNOWLEDGED. ENTERED BASE LEG NOTING TFC ON DOWNWIND AND AHEAD ON BASE. CALLED TWR AND RPTED ON BASE WITH TFC IN SIGHT. FREQ EXTREMELY BUSY. REPEATED CALL; NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM TWR. CONTINUED IN PATTERN AND NOTICED SEVERAL XMISSIONS 'STEPPED ON/BLOCKED.' CALLED TWR AGAIN TURNING FINAL. TWR ACKNOWLEDGED AND SAID I TOLD YOU TO CALL ON BASE. I REPLIED I DID/TRIED SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS BLOCKED. TWR AFFIRMED THIS AND CLRED ME TO LAND. CONTACTED GND; TAXIED TO FBO; DISCHARGED PAX AND TAXIED TO ACTIVE. CALLED TWR; GOT TKOF CLRNC; TOOK OFF ON COURSE AND RPTED CLR UPON DEPARTING CLASS D -- TWR ACKNOWLEDGED. LATER THAT DAY AT ANOTHER ARPT; I MENTIONED HOW BUSY DXR WAS TO ANOTHER PLT. HE TOLD ME THEY HAD JUST CONVERTED TO A CONTRACT TWR AND ALL THE CTLRS WERE NEW. AT DXR THIS IS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT THERE ARE HILLS SE (AND SW) OF THE FIELD THAT MAY PARTIALLY OBSCURE TWR'S VIEW OF TFC ON BASE LEGS. THE ACFT WOULD COME BACK INTO FULL VIEW ON TURNING FINAL. A SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO SEQUENCE ACFT INTO THE PATTERN WHEN BUSY ON DOWNWIND INSTEAD OF BASE ALLOWING MORE SEQUENCING TIME AND A CLRER VIEW TO THE TWR. ALSO; PLTS/CTLRS CAN ATTEMPT TO KEEP XMISSIONS CONCISE AND SHORT. I BELIEVE AS THE NEW CTLRS BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE LCL ENVIRONMENT AND TFC; THE SIT WILL ALSO IMPROVE.

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