C414 PLT VFR ENRTE TO VGT DESCRIBED ATC EVENTS WITH BOTH LAS AND L30 CTLRS THAT REPORTEDLY PLACED HIS ACFT IN DANGER.

Date: 2005-11 · Aircraft: Chancellor 414A / C414 · Phase: descent

Anomalies: other-controller-performance

Synopsis

C414 PLT VFR ENRTE TO VGT DESCRIBED ATC EVENTS WITH BOTH LAS AND L30 CTLRS THAT REPORTEDLY PLACED HIS ACFT IN DANGER.

Narrative

THE ESSENCE OF THIS ASRS RPT IS TO DISCLOSE HOW A CLASS B AIRSPACE CTLR ISSUED A SERIES OF DANGEROUS VECTORS; UNREASONABLE DEMANDS; AND MANIFEST INTRANSIGENT UNWILLINGNESS TO GIVE AID OR ASSISTANCE; OR CORRECT DANGEROUS VECTORS DESPITE PLEAS TO DO SO; THEN ABANDONED CTL OF MY ACFT WHILE IT WAS IN CLASS B AIRSPACE. THIS CAUSED A LIFE-THREATENING CIRCUMSTANCE WHICH THE CTLR HIMSELF LARGELY CREATED. DESPITE MY PLEAS; THE CTLR THEN SELECTIVELY PICKED LEGALESE FROM THE FAR'S TO JUSTIFY HIS ACTIONS WHILE TERMINATING COM; ABROGATING ANY RESPONSIBILITY ON THE PART OF THE CTLR TO PROMOTE AVIATION SAFETY. THIS APCH CTLR'S WILLFUL DELIBERATE AND CALCULATED ACTIONS CONSTITUTED A RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT OF MY FLT. WITH MY ACFT UNDER POSITIVE CTL IN CLASS B AIRSPACE; HE CANCELED OUR CLASS B CLRNC WHILE WE WERE IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; ALLEGING A LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT; NOTWITHSTANDING THE USE OF 2 DIFFERENT XPONDERS; BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HE HAD A PRECISE PRIMARY TARGET CONTACT WITH US. CANCELING THE CLASS B CLRNC WHILE WE WERE ACTUALLY IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE PUT ME AT RISK OF A VIOLATION. ADDITIONALLY; THE CTLR COULD HAVE SAFELY VECTORED ME WITH THE IDENTED (ALLEGED) PRIMARY TARGET; ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THERE WAS ALMOST NO OTHER FLT ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY. DESPITE INK-BLACK NIGHT VISUAL CONDITIONS; AND RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN JUST BELOW AND TO THE R AND L OF US; RESTR AIRSPACE TO OUR R; AND THE ACFT IN CLASS B AIRSPACE; AND ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVING TO PASS THROUGH ADDITIONAL CLASS B AIRSPACE EITHER TO LAND; OR GET OUT OF THE AREA; THE CTLR DECLINED REQUESTS FOR AID OR ADDITIONAL CLRNCS; AND TERMINATING COMS CONTACT. THE CTLR VECTORED MY FLT INTO HIGH AND RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; AND THEN ABANDONED MY FLT; LEAVING MY FLT IN PHYSICAL AND LEGAL PERIL. AT THAT POINT; THERE WAS NO ESCAPING THE CTLED AIRSPACE AS WE WERE IN IT WHEN HE CANCELED OUR CLRNC; ACKNOWLEDGING ON THE RADIO THAT HE KNEW THE PREDICAMENT IN WHICH HE WAS LEAVING THE PLT WOULD LIKELY LEAD TO AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION. THE CTLR THEN WITHHELD ANY ADDITIONAL CLRNC; NOTWITHSTANDING POSITIVE IDENT OF THE PRIMARY TARGET OF THE ACFT; VIRTUALLY GUARANTEEING THAT WE WOULD HAVE EITHER A CRASH IN AN UNSEEN BLACK TERRAIN; OR HIGH PROBABILITY OF AN AIRSPACE 'BUST' EITHER FROM THE CTLR INVOLVED; OR ANY OTHER ALERT CTLR. DURING THIS SAME TIME; THE SAME CTLR VECTORED A HVY JET IN FRONT AND SOMEWHAT ABOVE ME; RAISING THE SPECTER OF WAKE-TIP VORTEX UPSET; AND SHOUTED A REFUSAL FOR MY REQUEST FOR A CHANGE IN MY ASSIGNED VECTOR TO AVOID THIS PERIL. ON ACCOUNT OF THE CTLR'S DANGEROUS VECTORS; AGGRESSIVE VERBAL AND INFLECTIVE SPEECH; AND; IN MY JUDGEMENT; PLACING MY FLT INTO PHYSICAL AND LEGAL JEOPARDY; AND THE CTLR'S COMPLETE INSENSITIVITY TO THE SAFETY OF MY FLT; AND POTENTIALLY OF OTHERS ENDANGERED BY MY SUBSEQUENTLY UNCTLED FLT; I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A CTLR THAT SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY REPRIMANDED; AND/OR REMOVED FROM SVC. I BELIEVE THAT THE ACTIONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THESE ACTIONS BY THIS CTLR CONSTITUTE A REPEATED WILLFUL AND RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT OF MY FLT. THE CTLR HAD FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS ACTIONS; AS I POINTED THEM OUT TO HIM IN REAL TIME. DESPITE THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES; THE CTLR FORCEFULLY PERSEVERED IN HIS DANGEROUS VECTORS INTO HIGH TERRAIN AND UNDER HVY JETS. THE CTLR'S PRECIPITOUS ABANDONMENT OF MY FLT IN CLASS B AIRSPACE PLACED MY ACFT AT SERIOUS PHYSICAL AND LEGAL JEOPARDY. GIVEN THE NATURE OF HIS ACTIONS; INFLECTIONS; AND SPEECH; THIS OBSERVER BELIEVES THAT THE CLASS B AIRSPACE APCH CTLR WAS MORE INTERESTED IN ASSERTING HIS AUTH (AND PERHAPS ACTING OUT AN INNER ANGER) THAN IN SERVING THE CAUSE OF AVIATION SAFETY.

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