AN ACR PILOT REPORTS THAT SNA RWY 19R GENERAL AVIATION ACFT ARE TOLD TO TURN LEFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF AND SO OVERFLY ACR ACFT ON TXWY 'A' AT LOW ALT.
Synopsis
AN ACR PILOT REPORTS THAT SNA RWY 19R GENERAL AVIATION ACFT ARE TOLD TO TURN LEFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF AND SO OVERFLY ACR ACFT ON TXWY 'A' AT LOW ALT.
Narrative
WHILE TAXIING IN; TWO GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT FLEW DIRECTLY OVER OUR AIRCRAFT AT EXTREMELY LOW ALTITUDE; NOT MORE THAN A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET IF THAT. AFTER QUERYING ATC; I WAS INFORMED THAT DEPARTURES OFF RWY 19L ARE TO START A LEFT TURN ASAP TO AVOID DEPARTURES OFF RWY 19R. THIS CAUSES THEM TO OVERFLY AIRLINERS TAXIING ON TAXIWAY A AT VERY LOW ALTITUDES. AT SUCH LOW ALTITUDES; THERE IS NO SAFETY MARGIN. SHOULD JUST ONE OF THESE GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT LOSE AN ENGINE JUST AFTER TAKEOFF OR AN INEXPERIENCED PILOT STALL HIS AIRCRAFT WHILE TRYING TO TURN AT LOW ALTITUDE; THE RESULT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. DEPARTURES OFF RWY 19L SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED NOT TO OVERFLY AIRCRAFT TAXIING ON ALPHA.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THIS PRACTICE WAS NOT COMMON BUT HE HAS RECENTLY NOTICED MORE AND MORE RWY 19L GENERAL AVIATION ACFT BEING GIVEN THE LOW ALT TURN RESULTING IN ACR ACFT OVERFLTS OF APPROXIMATELY 150 FT OR LESS. THE REPORTER CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THIS PRACTICE IS UNSAFE AND THAT PILOTS SHOULD BE TOLD 'START A LEFT TURN BUT AVOID OVERFLYING ACR ACFT.'
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.