MHR CTLR CLRS SH36 FOR TKOF WITH A BE36 ON ILS SHORT FINAL WITH IFR CONDITIONS CAUSING NMAC.

Date: 2002-04 · Aircraft: Bonanza 36 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: atc-issue-all-types|conflict-ground-conflict|critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

MHR CTLR CLRS SH36 FOR TKOF WITH A BE36 ON ILS SHORT FINAL WITH IFR CONDITIONS CAUSING NMAC.

Narrative

AT APPROX THE FAF TO THE ILS RWY 22L AT MHR; LCL CTLR CLRED US FOR THE OPTION. WE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CLRNC. AT THE FAF; WE WERE IMC; BUT BROKE OUT MOMENTS LATER. WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 4 MI. I TOLD MY CLIENT TO PUT HIS FOGGLES ON. JUST BEFORE THE DECISION HT (200 FT AGL); THE TWR CLRED A DIFFERENT PLANE ONTO THE RWY RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IT WAS A SHORTS TURBOPROP COMMUTER. SHE ACKNOWLEDGED HER CLRNC AND BEGAN TO TAXI INTO POS FOR TKOF. I TOLD MY CLIENT TO GO MISSED. I TOLD THE TWR 'BONANZA SHORT FINAL RWY 22L; I HAVE THE SHORTS IN SIGHT AND AM EXECUTING THE MISSED APCH.' THE TWR; FORGETTING MY MISSED APCH CLRNC; SAID 'OK BONANZA; START YOUR L TURN.' SAC APCH HAD ALREADY CLRED ME FOR A R TURN ON THE MISSED APCH BEFORE WE WENT OVER TO THE TWR. I SAID 'ACTUALLY APCH TOLD US TO MAKE A R TURN.' MY CLIENT WAS IN THE R TURN. TWR SAID 'OH; RIGHT; CONTACT DEP.' JUST BEFORE I TURNED OFF TO DEP'S FREQ; I HEARD THE PLT OF THE SHORTS SAY 'WHICH WAY IS THE BONANZA TURNING?' THE TWR TOLD HER 'THEY'RE NBOUND;' AND I SWITCHED TO DEP. THIS TWR WAS THE PRIMARY ARPT OF A CLASS C AREA 8 YRS AGO WHEN IT WAS MATHER AFB. SINCE THE BASE WAS CLOSED; IT HAS BECOME A BUSY RELIEVER FOR SAC. THEY NO LONGER HAVE A RADAR IN THE TWR. THE LCL CTLR LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS LEADING TO A NMAC. IT IS A NEW CONTRACT TWR; RECENTLY BECOMING CLASS D AFTER HAVING BEEN UNCTLED FOR 7 YRS. MATHER TWR'S PROCS ARE ENORMOUSLY HAZARDOUS. HENCE; IN SAC WE ARE USED TO FLYING TO CLASS C. CLASS C SVC ALMOST ALWAYS PROTECTS US FROM THESE TYPES OF NEAR MISSES AND WAKE TURB ENCOUNTERS. HOWEVER; MATHER TWR NOW ONLY PROVIDES 'RWY SEPARATION.' IT'S A LOWER LEVEL OF SVC THAN PLTS AROUND HERE ARE USED TO. NEARBY SAC EXECUTIVE TWR HAS A BRITE SCOPE AND EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE 'ONLY' CLASS D; THEY PROVIDE SEPARATION SVC MUCH CLOSER TO CLASS C STANDARDS. PLTS NEED TO REMEMBER: WHEN ON AN IFR FLT; YOU MUST STILL SEE AND AVOID OUTSIDE IMC. MHR REALLY NEEDS ITS RADAR BACK AND THE NEW CONTRACT CTLRS MAY NEED SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING. I TRIPLE CHKED MY LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON!

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