Narrative:

Prescott airport is a busy training environment with 4 flight schools on the field and a designated training tower. It is the second busiest in the state, 56TH in the nation and the 4TH busiest without parallel runways nationwide. Despite this, the FAA has made no moves toward implementing a radar approach control facility. The controllers do as well as can be expected with constant arrs from all directions, but with 8 to 15 aircraft in the touch and go pattern and 7 mi long downwind legs, it's inevitable that ATC loses track of a few aircraft now and then. Frequency congestion worsens the problem. On the day of this particular incident, the sun was setting and gave the controller great difficulty seeing any approaching, base leg or downwind traffic. It also made it difficult to see other traffic in the pattern for those of us in flight. We were on extended downwind, 3 mi past the numbers when the controller told us to turn base. I saw traffic ahead on downwind and tried to inform the tower 3 times but due to frequency congestion, the controller didn't hear me. I decided the traffic must be departing the pattern so I went ahead and turned left base. ATC then informed me that my traffic was right base turning final. I informed ATC of the other traffic that appeared to be on downwind. ATC controller told me that he couldn't see any of us but to extend downwind. By this time I was already turning final and informed ATC as such. I still didn't have the right-hand traffic in sight and being afraid of descending on top of it, I elected to go around. This is a common occurrence at prc because ATC simply can't keep track of all inbound traffic and traffic already in the pattern. All of the flight instructors at our school consider the traffic pattern an extreme potential life-threatening situation. We'd like to see an approach control installed so that flow can be better controled into the pattern. Unfortunately, it seems that a midair collision with the local part 121 operator will be the only way to get enough pressure on the FAA to do something about the safety problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFLICT IN TRAFFIC PATTERN. SITUATION: TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: PRESCOTT ARPT IS A BUSY TRAINING ENVIRONMENT WITH 4 FLT SCHOOLS ON THE FIELD AND A DESIGNATED TRAINING TWR. IT IS THE SECOND BUSIEST IN THE STATE, 56TH IN THE NATION AND THE 4TH BUSIEST WITHOUT PARALLEL RWYS NATIONWIDE. DESPITE THIS, THE FAA HAS MADE NO MOVES TOWARD IMPLEMENTING A RADAR APCH CTL FAC. THE CTLRS DO AS WELL AS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH CONSTANT ARRS FROM ALL DIRECTIONS, BUT WITH 8 TO 15 ACFT IN THE TOUCH AND GO PATTERN AND 7 MI LONG DOWNWIND LEGS, IT'S INEVITABLE THAT ATC LOSES TRACK OF A FEW ACFT NOW AND THEN. FREQ CONGESTION WORSENS THE PROBLEM. ON THE DAY OF THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT, THE SUN WAS SETTING AND GAVE THE CTLR GREAT DIFFICULTY SEEING ANY APCHING, BASE LEG OR DOWNWIND TFC. IT ALSO MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN FOR THOSE OF US IN FLT. WE WERE ON EXTENDED DOWNWIND, 3 MI PAST THE NUMBERS WHEN THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN BASE. I SAW TFC AHEAD ON DOWNWIND AND TRIED TO INFORM THE TWR 3 TIMES BUT DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION, THE CTLR DIDN'T HEAR ME. I DECIDED THE TFC MUST BE DEPARTING THE PATTERN SO I WENT AHEAD AND TURNED LEFT BASE. ATC THEN INFORMED ME THAT MY TFC WAS RIGHT BASE TURNING FINAL. I INFORMED ATC OF THE OTHER TFC THAT APPEARED TO BE ON DOWNWIND. ATC CTLR TOLD ME THAT HE COULDN'T SEE ANY OF US BUT TO EXTEND DOWNWIND. BY THIS TIME I WAS ALREADY TURNING FINAL AND INFORMED ATC AS SUCH. I STILL DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT-HAND TFC IN SIGHT AND BEING AFRAID OF DESCENDING ON TOP OF IT, I ELECTED TO GO AROUND. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AT PRC BECAUSE ATC SIMPLY CAN'T KEEP TRACK OF ALL INBND TFC AND TFC ALREADY IN THE PATTERN. ALL OF THE FLT INSTRUCTORS AT OUR SCHOOL CONSIDER THE TFC PATTERN AN EXTREME POTENTIAL LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. WE'D LIKE TO SEE AN APCH CTL INSTALLED SO THAT FLOW CAN BE BETTER CTLED INTO THE PATTERN. UNFORTUNATELY, IT SEEMS THAT A MIDAIR COLLISION WITH THE LCL PART 121 OPERATOR WILL BE THE ONLY WAY TO GET ENOUGH PRESSURE ON THE FAA TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SAFETY PROBLEM.

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.