Pilot of aircraft on pipeline patrol failed to fly proper VFR route in air traffic area.

Attributes
ACN	122446
Time
Date	198909
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aby
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : aby
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller non radar : 6
ASRS Report	122446
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	unspecified : 6000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the local controller at the time of occurrence. Aircraft X, an small aircraft, reported north of the airport and requested transition wbound through the air traffic area at low altitude for pipeline patrol. The normal pipeline route approachs the airport from due north until 1 mi north of the airport, then turns west. We have no radar, and since he reported north of the airport, I anticipated his approach on the usual route. I asked him to report 1 mi north of the airport for clearance to transition. Meanwhile, air carrier Y reported ready for departure on runway 4. He was cleared for takeoff, and instructed to fly runway heading for radar vectors. I did not issue traffic to air carrier Y or aircraft X, because if aircraft X had been on his usual route, they would not be factors for each other. As soon as air carrier Y was airborne, I switched him to departure. Then aircraft X reported the departing traffic in sight. At that time, I saw the aircraft X 2 mi nne of the airport on a w-erly heading. Air carrier Y then returned to my frequency and reported an small aircraft headed straight at him on departure. He did not say he wanted to report a near miss, but he wanted to make sure I was aware of the situation. I explained to aircraft X that he had reported north of the airport instead of northeast, and that he had entered the air traffic area in our departure corridor. He was apparently new to the area and was not aware that we have ATIS, and was not familiar with the route. This became even more apparently when he reported departing the air traffic area to the northeast instead of northwest, and I corrected him. This situation is not unusual, since we have many pilots who are not familiar with the area who report their position inaccurately. This situation could easily be alleviated by the installation of a BRITE scope in our tower for traffic advisories. ZJX works aby approach control and has radar coverage to the ground. If we could have a BRITE scope slaved off their radar, we could eliminate this type of situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF ACFT ON PIPELINE PATROL FAILED TO FLY PROPER VFR ROUTE IN ATA.

Narrative: I WAS THE LCL CTLR AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. ACFT X, AN SMA, RPTED N OF THE ARPT AND REQUESTED TRANSITION WBOUND THROUGH THE ATA AT LOW ALT FOR PIPELINE PATROL. THE NORMAL PIPELINE ROUTE APCHS THE ARPT FROM DUE N UNTIL 1 MI N OF THE ARPT, THEN TURNS W. WE HAVE NO RADAR, AND SINCE HE RPTED N OF THE ARPT, I ANTICIPATED HIS APCH ON THE USUAL ROUTE. I ASKED HIM TO RPT 1 MI N OF THE ARPT FOR CLRNC TO TRANSITION. MEANWHILE, ACR Y RPTED READY FOR DEP ON RWY 4. HE WAS CLRED FOR TKOF, AND INSTRUCTED TO FLY RWY HDG FOR RADAR VECTORS. I DID NOT ISSUE TFC TO ACR Y OR ACFT X, BECAUSE IF ACFT X HAD BEEN ON HIS USUAL ROUTE, THEY WOULD NOT BE FACTORS FOR EACH OTHER. AS SOON AS ACR Y WAS AIRBORNE, I SWITCHED HIM TO DEP. THEN ACFT X RPTED THE DEPARTING TFC IN SIGHT. AT THAT TIME, I SAW THE ACFT X 2 MI NNE OF THE ARPT ON A W-ERLY HDG. ACR Y THEN RETURNED TO MY FREQ AND RPTED AN SMA HEADED STRAIGHT AT HIM ON DEP. HE DID NOT SAY HE WANTED TO RPT A NEAR MISS, BUT HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS AWARE OF THE SITUATION. I EXPLAINED TO ACFT X THAT HE HAD RPTED N OF THE ARPT INSTEAD OF NE, AND THAT HE HAD ENTERED THE ATA IN OUR DEP CORRIDOR. HE WAS APPARENTLY NEW TO THE AREA AND WAS NOT AWARE THAT WE HAVE ATIS, AND WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ROUTE. THIS BECAME EVEN MORE APPARENTLY WHEN HE RPTED DEPARTING THE ATA TO THE NE INSTEAD OF NW, AND I CORRECTED HIM. THIS SITUATION IS NOT UNUSUAL, SINCE WE HAVE MANY PLTS WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA WHO RPT THEIR POS INACCURATELY. THIS SITUATION COULD EASILY BE ALLEVIATED BY THE INSTALLATION OF A BRITE SCOPE IN OUR TWR FOR TFC ADVISORIES. ZJX WORKS ABY APCH CTL AND HAS RADAR COVERAGE TO THE GND. IF WE COULD HAVE A BRITE SCOPE SLAVED OFF THEIR RADAR, WE COULD ELIMINATE THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.

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.