Narrative:

Controllers at prescott ATC tower are required to approve practice instrument apches to love field, prescott, az. However, prescott ATC tower is not radar equipped and most of the flight path of these aircraft is in albuquerque ARTCC airspace. Therefore, it is not possible for prescott ATC tower to advise aircraft of all traffic known to the FAA. Prescott ATC tower is unable to provide traffic information as required by 7210.3I paragraph 1234 due to the lack of BRITE radar and the volume of traffic. Albuquerque ARTCC is also providing VFR advisories to both VFR and IFR aircraft in this same airspace. The controllers at prescott ATC tower are being encouraged to use IFR phraseology from the controller's handbook. However, they are not IFR controllers. Prescott ATC tower does not provide approach control service. This is misleading to the flying public. Flight crews are being misled into believing that advisory services are being provided that are not. Prescott ATC tower is a very busy level ii nonradar terminal facility. The frequency congestion created attempting to provide this service greatly reduces the safety standards at the airport. Aircraft on the practice instrument apches appear to believe that the tower is providing VFR advisory service outside the air traffic area when in fact it is not. Due to the volume of traffic at prescott ATC tower the management is instituting an additional frequency to handle such requests. However this continues to mislead the flying public as to what services are being provided, ie, traffic advisories. The controller operating this frequency is actually controling aircraft in another controller's airspace, ie, albuquerque ARTCC airspace. Corrective action: aircraft requesting practice instrument apches to love field, prescott, az, should be instructed to contact the approach control service, albuquerque ARTCC. IFR separation should be applied in accordance with 7210.ei paragraph 833. In a nonradar environment this will mean only one aircraft on an approach at a time. Aircraft that wish to conduct such apches without IFR separation should be informed by prescott ATC tower to report outside the air traffic area inbound for a straight in to the appropriate runway. No IFR phraseology should be used. This should make it clear to the flight crew what services are being provided from which facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ARE BEING CLEARED FOR PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCHES BY BOTH THE CENTER AND THE TWR.

Narrative: CTLRS AT PRESCOTT ATC TWR ARE REQUIRED TO APPROVE PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCHES TO LOVE FIELD, PRESCOTT, AZ. HOWEVER, PRESCOTT ATC TWR IS NOT RADAR EQUIPPED AND MOST OF THE FLT PATH OF THESE ACFT IS IN ALBUQUERQUE ARTCC AIRSPACE. THEREFORE, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR PRESCOTT ATC TWR TO ADVISE ACFT OF ALL TFC KNOWN TO THE FAA. PRESCOTT ATC TWR IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE TFC INFO AS REQUIRED BY 7210.3I PARAGRAPH 1234 DUE TO THE LACK OF BRITE RADAR AND THE VOLUME OF TFC. ALBUQUERQUE ARTCC IS ALSO PROVIDING VFR ADVISORIES TO BOTH VFR AND IFR ACFT IN THIS SAME AIRSPACE. THE CTLRS AT PRESCOTT ATC TWR ARE BEING ENCOURAGED TO USE IFR PHRASEOLOGY FROM THE CTLR'S HANDBOOK. HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT IFR CTLRS. PRESCOTT ATC TWR DOES NOT PROVIDE APCH CTL SERVICE. THIS IS MISLEADING TO THE FLYING PUBLIC. FLT CREWS ARE BEING MISLED INTO BELIEVING THAT ADVISORY SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED THAT ARE NOT. PRESCOTT ATC TWR IS A VERY BUSY LEVEL II NONRADAR TERMINAL FAC. THE FREQ CONGESTION CREATED ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE GREATLY REDUCES THE SAFETY STANDARDS AT THE ARPT. ACFT ON THE PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCHES APPEAR TO BELIEVE THAT THE TWR IS PROVIDING VFR ADVISORY SERVICE OUTSIDE THE ATA WHEN IN FACT IT IS NOT. DUE TO THE VOLUME OF TFC AT PRESCOTT ATC TWR THE MGMNT IS INSTITUTING AN ADDITIONAL FREQ TO HANDLE SUCH REQUESTS. HOWEVER THIS CONTINUES TO MISLEAD THE FLYING PUBLIC AS TO WHAT SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED, IE, TFC ADVISORIES. THE CTLR OPERATING THIS FREQ IS ACTUALLY CTLING ACFT IN ANOTHER CTLR'S AIRSPACE, IE, ALBUQUERQUE ARTCC AIRSPACE. CORRECTIVE ACTION: ACFT REQUESTING PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCHES TO LOVE FIELD, PRESCOTT, AZ, SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT THE APCH CTL SERVICE, ALBUQUERQUE ARTCC. IFR SEPARATION SHOULD BE APPLIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 7210.EI PARAGRAPH 833. IN A NONRADAR ENVIRONMENT THIS WILL MEAN ONLY ONE ACFT ON AN APCH AT A TIME. ACFT THAT WISH TO CONDUCT SUCH APCHES WITHOUT IFR SEPARATION SHOULD BE INFORMED BY PRESCOTT ATC TWR TO REPORT OUTSIDE THE ATA INBND FOR A STRAIGHT IN TO THE APPROPRIATE RWY. NO IFR PHRASEOLOGY SHOULD BE USED. THIS SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE FLT CREW WHAT SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED FROM WHICH FAC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.