Narrative:

As SOP, phx local controllers land and takeoff aircraft into the sun. They have been doing this for at least 3 yrs. It has been stated that it is for their convenience, so that they can see and separate aircraft from each other. The pilots fight the glare and haze, struggle to find 8/26 runways and frequently have no chance of seeing other aircraft. The runways are not selected because of wind, either! Calm wind, 7 am, you will land on runway 8. 5 pm, you will land 26!! Always this situation will eventually kill someone and the overshoots on parallel runways are frequent. If you talk to phx controllers, they stonewall: 'we don't see any problem.' they also refuse to switch runways when pilots are complaining, and I've complained and overheard many other pilots complain, also. Multiple, machine gun instructions appear to be coming back. Last week, in about 3 seconds, I was given an altitude, heading, speed, 'expect to cross' intersection, altitude, speed, local altimeter and frequency change--all in one breath. I've noticed this happening more frequently, and in the southwest and east coast. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: called facility and talked to pps at TRACON. He said the tower selects the runway, however he has worked at the tower and is familiar with runway use. The wind pattern is basically 080/05 in the morning with runway 8 as the primary use runway. In the afternoon, a west wind normally occurs and runway 26 is used. He also said that tempe is a noise sensitive community and they receive a lot of noise complaints from that area. There is no formal noise abatement program, but it generally works out that both runways are used 50% of the time. He also stated that if the controllers had their choice, they would land and departure away from the sun since it is difficult to conduct visibility approachs when the pilot cannot see the airport. They do not receive a lot of pilot complaints on this subject.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT RWY SELECTION THAT CAUSES THEM TO LAND AND DEPART INTO THE SUN.

Narrative: AS SOP, PHX LCL CTLRS LAND AND TKOF ACFT INTO THE SUN. THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR AT LEAST 3 YRS. IT HAS BEEN STATED THAT IT IS FOR THEIR CONVENIENCE, SO THAT THEY CAN SEE AND SEPARATE ACFT FROM EACH OTHER. THE PLTS FIGHT THE GLARE AND HAZE, STRUGGLE TO FIND 8/26 RWYS AND FREQUENTLY HAVE NO CHANCE OF SEEING OTHER ACFT. THE RWYS ARE NOT SELECTED BECAUSE OF WIND, EITHER! CALM WIND, 7 AM, YOU WILL LAND ON RWY 8. 5 PM, YOU WILL LAND 26!! ALWAYS THIS SITUATION WILL EVENTUALLY KILL SOMEONE AND THE OVERSHOOTS ON PARALLEL RWYS ARE FREQUENT. IF YOU TALK TO PHX CTLRS, THEY STONEWALL: 'WE DON'T SEE ANY PROB.' THEY ALSO REFUSE TO SWITCH RWYS WHEN PLTS ARE COMPLAINING, AND I'VE COMPLAINED AND OVERHEARD MANY OTHER PLTS COMPLAIN, ALSO. MULTIPLE, MACHINE GUN INSTRUCTIONS APPEAR TO BE COMING BACK. LAST WK, IN ABOUT 3 SECS, I WAS GIVEN AN ALT, HDG, SPD, 'EXPECT TO CROSS' INTXN, ALT, SPD, LCL ALTIMETER AND FREQ CHANGE--ALL IN ONE BREATH. I'VE NOTICED THIS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY, AND IN THE SW AND E COAST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLED FAC AND TALKED TO PPS AT TRACON. HE SAID THE TWR SELECTS THE RWY, HOWEVER HE HAS WORKED AT THE TWR AND IS FAMILIAR WITH RWY USE. THE WIND PATTERN IS BASICALLY 080/05 IN THE MORNING WITH RWY 8 AS THE PRIMARY USE RWY. IN THE AFTERNOON, A W WIND NORMALLY OCCURS AND RWY 26 IS USED. HE ALSO SAID THAT TEMPE IS A NOISE SENSITIVE COMMUNITY AND THEY RECEIVE A LOT OF NOISE COMPLAINTS FROM THAT AREA. THERE IS NO FORMAL NOISE ABATEMENT PROGRAM, BUT IT GENERALLY WORKS OUT THAT BOTH RWYS ARE USED 50% OF THE TIME. HE ALSO STATED THAT IF THE CTLRS HAD THEIR CHOICE, THEY WOULD LAND AND DEP AWAY FROM THE SUN SINCE IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONDUCT VIS APCHS WHEN THE PLT CANNOT SEE THE ARPT. THEY DO NOT RECEIVE A LOT OF PLT COMPLAINTS ON THIS SUBJECT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.