Narrative:

In the last 3 months I have had 4 instances where clt approach has cleared me for the visibility to 23 at 4 DME from the airport at 4000-6000' MSL. I have sat through 6 other instances of the same thing where the captain was flying the aircraft. Techniques for dealing with it have varied with the pilot, but all have involved non standard flight profiles, ie, s-turns with heavy aircraft or 3000 FPM dscnts within 100' AGL, or refusal to turn into the airport, or missed approach, etc. The controllers in clt have apologized a couple of times, but they need to clean up their act! If this had been a 1-TIME occurrence, or the situation had improved following the missed approachs, I would not feel compelled to write this, but clt is giving insufficient room for dscnts for a visibility to 23 and apparently not learning the missed approachs are a result of altitude and vectoring by them. As a retired navy carrier pilot I have a pretty good amount of training in how to intercept a G/south from above and kill a high sink rate. Most of the pilots I fly with do not, and I am decidedly uncomfortable with what happens 50% of the time at clt. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: it may be the approach control is keeping high because of being over the city. Other than that, I do not know what the problem in the TRACON is. Keeping us high generally only happens when we approach from the south, downwind for runway 23 on a visibility approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MDT ALLEGEDLY CONSISTENTLY KEPT HIGH TOO CLOSE IN ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 23 AT CLT.

Narrative: IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS I HAVE HAD 4 INSTANCES WHERE CLT APCH HAS CLRED ME FOR THE VIS TO 23 AT 4 DME FROM THE ARPT AT 4000-6000' MSL. I HAVE SAT THROUGH 6 OTHER INSTANCES OF THE SAME THING WHERE THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. TECHNIQUES FOR DEALING WITH IT HAVE VARIED WITH THE PLT, BUT ALL HAVE INVOLVED NON STANDARD FLT PROFILES, IE, S-TURNS WITH HVY ACFT OR 3000 FPM DSCNTS WITHIN 100' AGL, OR REFUSAL TO TURN INTO THE ARPT, OR MISSED APCH, ETC. THE CTLRS IN CLT HAVE APOLOGIZED A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT THEY NEED TO CLEAN UP THEIR ACT! IF THIS HAD BEEN A 1-TIME OCCURRENCE, OR THE SITUATION HAD IMPROVED FOLLOWING THE MISSED APCHS, I WOULD NOT FEEL COMPELLED TO WRITE THIS, BUT CLT IS GIVING INSUFFICIENT ROOM FOR DSCNTS FOR A VIS TO 23 AND APPARENTLY NOT LEARNING THE MISSED APCHS ARE A RESULT OF ALT AND VECTORING BY THEM. AS A RETIRED NAVY CARRIER PLT I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD AMOUNT OF TRNING IN HOW TO INTERCEPT A G/S FROM ABOVE AND KILL A HIGH SINK RATE. MOST OF THE PLTS I FLY WITH DO NOT, AND I AM DECIDEDLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WHAT HAPPENS 50% OF THE TIME AT CLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: IT MAY BE THE APCH CTL IS KEEPING HIGH BECAUSE OF BEING OVER THE CITY. OTHER THAN THAT, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROB IN THE TRACON IS. KEEPING US HIGH GENERALLY ONLY HAPPENS WHEN WE APCH FROM THE S, DOWNWIND FOR RWY 23 ON A VIS APCH.

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.