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P80 TRACON controller reported a recurring issue with unidentified VFR aircraft transitioning through the pdx runway 10 final approach corridor.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1482470 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201709 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | P80.TRACON |
| State Reference | OR |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft High Wing 1 Eng Retractable Gear |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Initial Climb |
| Route In Use | VFR Route |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Widebody Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Initial Approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Departure Approach |
| Qualification | Air Traffic Control Fully Certified |
| Experience | Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 1 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ATC Issue All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
I was working the north radar sector on a runway 10 flow. We had not been on runway 10 for several months. I was on the end part of a busy session involving a lot of weird issues involving a tfr in the departure corridor and a heavy amount of VFR traffic. I heard an aircraft call up for flight following off of scappoose airport and I didn't have time to answer him right away so I ignored him with the intention of getting back to him when I had an opportunity. Looking back I should have reached out to have him contact the final controller as he wanted to go south from spb airport. But again; with the 10 flow in use; and not 28; I am used to working the spb aircraft off of spb. I finally radar identified aircraft X and saw he was already in the approach corridor for runway 10 at pdx and on a heading that would take him across final a few miles behind aircraft Y on final into pdx. I immediately issued traffic and the aircraft reported that he had the traffic in sight. No incident occurred and I transferred control to the next sector.there needs to be a VFR corridor that takes planes around the pdx approach and departure corridors. Or we need an airspace reclassification. Literally every single day something like this happens; and it's only a matter of time before a serious incident occurs. Most of the time the VFR aircraft doesn't even call ATC and they just fly across the localizer at an altitude that puts it in direct conflict with an air carrier arriving at pdx. This happens dozens of times per day. I describe it as playing 'frogger' with 737s. You are constantly turning IFR jets to avoid unidentified 1200 code VFR aircraft. It is ridiculous and one day someone will make an unexpected turn directly back into an arrival that we vectored for target resolution and it will be a serious incident. The airspace needs to change and soon.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: P80 TRACON Controller reported a recurring issue with unidentified VFR aircraft transitioning through the PDX Runway 10 final approach corridor.
Narrative: I was working the north radar sector on a Runway 10 flow. We had not been on runway 10 for several months. I was on the end part of a busy session involving a lot of weird issues involving a TFR in the departure corridor and a heavy amount of VFR traffic. I heard an aircraft call up for flight following off of Scappoose airport and I didn't have time to answer him right away so I ignored him with the intention of getting back to him when I had an opportunity. Looking back I should have reached out to have him contact the final controller as he wanted to go south from SPB airport. But again; with the 10 flow in use; and not 28; I am used to working the SPB aircraft off of SPB. I finally radar identified Aircraft X and saw he was already in the approach corridor for Runway 10 at PDX and on a heading that would take him across final a few miles behind Aircraft Y on final into PDX. I immediately issued traffic and the aircraft reported that he had the traffic in sight. No incident occurred and I transferred control to the next sector.There needs to be a VFR corridor that takes planes around the PDX approach and departure corridors. Or we need an airspace reclassification. Literally every single day something like this happens; and it's only a matter of time before a serious incident occurs. Most of the time the VFR aircraft doesn't even call ATC and they just fly across the localizer at an altitude that puts it in direct conflict with an air carrier arriving at PDX. This happens dozens of times per day. I describe it as playing 'frogger' with 737s. You are constantly turning IFR jets to avoid unidentified 1200 code VFR aircraft. It is ridiculous and one day someone will make an unexpected turn directly back into an arrival that we vectored for target resolution and it will be a serious incident. The airspace needs to change and soon.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.