FO OF AN ACR MLG COMPLAINS ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE USED BY APCH CTLR HANDLING OF VFR TFC. HE BELIEVES THAT ATC SHOULD GIVE MORE SEPARATION VECTORS TO ALL ACFT.
Synopsis
FO OF AN ACR MLG COMPLAINS ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE USED BY APCH CTLR HANDLING OF VFR TFC. HE BELIEVES THAT ATC SHOULD GIVE MORE SEPARATION VECTORS TO ALL ACFT.
Narrative
WE DEPARTED MLB ON MAR/XA/01 AT APPROX XA00 IN AN MD88 ACFT. NORMAL DEP WAS CLB TO 5000 FT; RWY HDG; BUT WE WERE GIVEN CLB TO 4000 FT ON RWY HDG. AS WE PASSED THROUGH APPROX 2500 FT; DAB APCH SAID 'TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS AT 4000 FT' (CAN'T REMEMBER EXACT MILEAGE; BUT ONLY A FEW MI). I TOLD CAPT THAT I DID NOT SEE THE TFC AND TO ASK THE CTLR FOR A VECTOR SINCE WE WERE CLRED TO THE SAME ALT. (WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS AT THE TIME; BUT DAB WAS TALKING TO THIS LIGHT ACFT.) WHAT BOTHERED ME WAS THE CLRNC TO THEIR ALT WITH THEM IN AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS; DAB CAME BACK WITH A TURN TO APPROX 330 DEGS (WE TOOK OFF W); CLB TO 3500 FT NOW. THE CAPT THEN SPOTTED THE CESSNA (OR WHATEVER TYPE OF LIGHT ACFT IT WAS) PASS FAIRLY CLOSE OFF OUR L SIDE; BUT AT A SAFE DISTANCE (NOTHING ALARMING). AS WE TURNED TO THE NEW HDG; WE GOT A TCASII ALERT ON ANOTHER LIGHT PLANE DIRECTLY WHERE WE WERE TURNING TO. WE DIDN'T GET AN RA AND PROBABLY STAYED 500 FT UNDER HIM. DAB NEVER SAW THIS TFC (WHY I'M NOT SURE SINCE WE GOT A TA; HE MUST HAVE BEEN SQUAWKING ON HIS XPONDER). WE ACTUALLY LEVELED OFF NEAR 3200 FT SINCE WE COULD SEE HIM ABOVE US AND PROBABLY 1 MI OR SO AWAY. THESE WERE NOT NEAR MISSES; BUT I FELT LIKE THEY WERE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITS. DAB SAID THAT THE ACFT WERE LEGAL TO BE WHERE THEY WERE; BUT IT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE DODGING THEM -- FOR US AND OUR PAX. THE SECOND ACFT BOTHERS ME IN THAT IT WAS FLYING RIGHT ACROSS THE DEP END OF MLB; FROM N TO S; AND APPARENTLY NOT TALKING TO ANYONE. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT WAS JUST TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUE OF LIGHT ACFT AROUND MLB.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.