GA PLT COMPLAINT REFERENCE LACK OF ATC CLRNC INTO TCA; AND APPARENT POOR COORD BETWEEN LAS APCH AND LSV APCH CTLRS.
Synopsis
GA PLT COMPLAINT REFERENCE LACK OF ATC CLRNC INTO TCA; AND APPARENT POOR COORD BETWEEN LAS APCH AND LSV APCH CTLRS.
Narrative
I WAS FLYING TO NORTH LAS VEGAS; AND WAS 53 MI OUT WHEN I CONTACTED ZLA REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING AND PERMISSION TO ENTER LAS TCA. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK. 5 MINS OUT FROM TCA I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT LAS APCH. I DID; AND THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT NELLIS APCH. I DID. THEY SAID CONTACT LAS APCH (SAME FREQ). I SAID 'THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT YOU.' I WAS TOLD TO STAND BY. THEN I WAS TOLD AGAIN TO CONTACT LA APCH SAME FREQ. I DID; SAME CTLR. I REQUESTED CLRNC TO ENTER TCA. TOLD; 'MAINTAIN PRESENT HDG AND ALT.' AT 1/2 MI OUT I WAS ANXIOUS. ASKED AGAIN FOR CLRNC. AGAIN THE RESPONSE: 'MAINTAIN HDG AND ALT.' BY MY ESTIMATION I WAS ENTERING THE TCA WHEN TOLD TO CONTACT NELLIS. I DID AND WAS TOLD; 'CLRED TO OPERATE IN THE TCA...' I BELIEVE THE CLRNC CAME FAR TOO LATE. I WANT TO KNOW IF 'MAINTAIN HDG AND ALT' THAT TAKES ME INTO A TCA IS IN FACT AN IMPLIED CLRNC. AFTER THE SECOND 'MAINTAIN...' I CONSIDERED DOING A 90 DEG TURN AND GETTING OUT OF THE ATC ENVIRONMENT. BUT PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE LAS TERMINAL CHART. THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO GET TO LAS VEGAS NORTH CLR OF THE TCA ARE NOT DESIRABLE. THERE IS A BIG SQUEEZE BTWN THE TCA AND GND. THEN THERE IS NELLIS TFC; AND THEY CAN BE SCARY. THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS FAILURE TO COORDINATE BTWN LAS APCH AND NELLIS. ATC HAS AN OBLIGATION TO ADVISE OF CLRNC TO ENTER IN A MUCH MORE TIMELY MANNER. THIS IS AN INCIDENT THAT CAUSED ME UNNECESSARY WORRY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR FINALLY ENDED UP ON THE NELLIS FREQ WHICH HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON FROM THE BEGINNING. THEY VECTORED HIM AWAY FROM THE CLB CORRIDOR TO THE W PASSING N OF NELLIS AFB AND TOWARD HIGHER TERRAIN. I EXPLAINED WHY IT WAS A VERY POOR IDEA FOR HIM TO ENTER THE TCA AT A POINT ON THE LAS 028 DEG R AS THAT PUT HIM OPP DIRECTION TO HIGH SPD NELLIS DEPS. VERY STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT NEXT TIME HE AVOID THAT AREA AND PROCEED FURTHER E. I ALSO SUGGESTED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE NEITHER LAS OR LSV RADAR HAD YET IDENTED HIS TARGET AND THAT THEY WERE NOT SURE WHICH AIRSPACE HE WAS ENTERING. ALSO THAT HE SHOULD TRY TO GET CTLR TO SAY THE MAGIC WORDS; 'CLRED INTO TCA.'
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.