PRC LCL CTLR DESCRIBED AIRSPACE INTRUSION BY ACFT ON PRACTICE APCH RESULTING IN GAR; INDICATING FAILED COORD BY ZAB.

Date: 2008-03 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer · Phase: approach

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types

Synopsis

PRC LCL CTLR DESCRIBED AIRSPACE INTRUSION BY ACFT ON PRACTICE APCH RESULTING IN GAR; INDICATING FAILED COORD BY ZAB.

Narrative

I WAS WORKING THE LCL 1 CTL POS AT NIGHT WITH RWYS 21L AND 21R ACTIVE AND IN USE. I HAD A C172 DOING STOP-AND-GOES IN R TFC ON RWY 21R AND A PA44 DOING STOP-AND-GOES IN L TFC ON RWY 21L. I NOTICED A RADAR TARGET 3 MI NW INDICATING 6500 FT (1500 FT AGL) INBOUND TO THE ARPT. I XMITTED IN THE BLIND TO TRY TO ESTABLISH RADIO COMS WITH NO SUCCESS. I THEN CALLED ZAB AND TOLD THEM THAT IF THEY WERE TALKING TO A PLANE INSIDE OF DRK ON A PRACTICE APCH THAT I NEEDED TO TALK TO HIM ASAP! I MOVED BOTH OF MY PATTERN ACFT TO AVOID THE INBOUND THAT CHKED ON 1 MI NW STILL INBOUND. THE ACFT HAD DSNDED TO 5800 FT; WHICH IS RIGHT AT PATTERN ALT. I INSTRUCTED THE ACFT TO GO MISSED BACK TO DRK AND RESUMED NORMAL TFC OPS. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS; ONGOING SAFETY ISSUES WITH PRACTICE APCHS; AND IT IS TIME FOR THE FAA TO EITHER: 1) GIVE ZAB THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO WORK THE PRACTICE APCHS; OR 2) HAVE P50 TAKE OVER THE AIRSPACE AND WORK THE PLANES; OR 3) THE BEST SOLUTION IS TO GIVE THE PRC ATCT CTLRS THE EQUIP AND RESOURCES TO AGAIN WORK THE PRACTICE APCHS AND TRANSITION THE ACFT SAFELY INTO PRC ARPT.

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