AVL CONTROLLER VOICED CONCERN REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW AND HIGHER MVA REQUIREMENTS; ALLEGING INCREASED DIFFICULTY IN VECTORING AIRCRAFT FOR AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH.

Date: 2008-11

Anomalies: other-new-mva-s

Synopsis

AVL CONTROLLER VOICED CONCERN REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW AND HIGHER MVA REQUIREMENTS; ALLEGING INCREASED DIFFICULTY IN VECTORING AIRCRAFT FOR AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH.

Narrative

THE FAA HAS IMPLEMENTED NEW MINIMUM VECTORING ALTS (MVA'S) FOR ASHEVILLE APCH CTL. THESE NEW MVA'S WERE RECALCULATED BASED ON NEW REQUIREMENTS AND AS A RESULT; WERE INCREASED THROUGHOUT THE AIRSPACE. PRIOR TO THIS CHANGE; THE AREAS WITHIN 15 NM OF THE ARPT UTILIZED A REDUCED REQUIRED OBSTRUCTION CLRNC (ROC) TO ACCOMMODATE VECTORING FOR AN INST APCH; AS AUTH IN AGENCY DIRECTIVES. THE NEW MVA'S DO NOT TAKE THIS REDUCTION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE 15 NM AS BEFORE; AND RESULT IN GREATLY INCREASED MVA'S IN CLOSE PROX TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE AS CLOSE AS 4.5 NM JUST W OF THE ARPT; AND 3.5 NM; NE OF THE ARPT. THESE AREAS INCREASED BY AS MUCH AS 1700 FT WITH THIS CHANGE. CTLRS NOW HAVE AN EXTREMELY LIMITED AREA IN WHICH TO RUN THE DOWNWIND LEG UNLESS THE ACFT IS AT LEAST 2000 FT ABOVE THE MVA AT GLIDEPATH INTERCEPT. THIS RESULTS IN GROSSLY EXTENDED DOWNWIND LEGS AND EXTENDED FINALS TO ALLOW FOR DSCNT. THE OTHER OPTION IS FOR THE CTLR TO PAY MUCH GREATER ATTN TO ARRS TO ENSURE THAT ACFT REMAIN IN AN AREA APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR ALT WHILE ENSURING IT REMAINS THE REQUIRED DISTANCE FROM OTHER ACFT ALREADY ON FINAL HITTING A GAP THAT IN SOME PLACES IS ONLY .5 NM WIDE. THIS DISTRACTS THE CTLR FROM OTHER TFC THAT MIGHT ALSO NEED HIS/HER ATTN. PROPOSED SOLUTION: APPLY THE REDUCED RATE OF CLIMB TO ALL AREAS WITHIN 15 NM OF THE ARPT 'AS HAS BEEN THE CASE BOTH SAFELY AND LEGALLY FOR MORE THAN 2 DECADES' TO ACCOMMODATE VECTORS FOR AN INST APCH.

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