Narrative:

I had been cleared by bur approach control for the 4 stacks visual approach to runway 15 at burbank with the standard instruction to maintain 3000 ft until turning final. Approach control had been calling out traffic (pretty much continuously, as usual, which we observed and acknowledged). In the turn we were switched over to bur tower. When we came up on frequency, the tower controller told us to watch out for other traffic because we were flying through the whiteman airport traffic pattern at traffic pattern altitude! I observed 2 other aircraft in the vicinity that posed no threat to us (although we probably had their attention). I continued to runway 15 and landed. I then spoke with the bur tower supervisor about what had just happened. He said I did not stay at 3000 ft as instructed. What did just happen? It was a very clear night and I had the airport visually about 15 mi out. When I started my turn to final and descent out of 3000 ft I was further out (around 9 NM) than I thought (no DME at bur). I quickly realized it and leveled off around 2200-2300 ft just waiting to reintercept the runway 15 vasis. I was not flying the exact 'depicted' ground track on the approach plate (which is recommended only according to the cvf procedures), in fact I was flying just inside the broken arrow depiction. I did, in fact, comply with the 3000 ft restriction and did not leave it until I started my turn. The restriction, I'm now convinced, should probably be worded something like 'maintain 3000 ft until intercepting final,' which leaves less room for interpretation. Whiteman airport is depicted on the approach chart but there is nothing that gives you a heads up call that their traffic pattern extends out so close to the extended final of runway 15 at bur. That's the reason for the 3000 ft restriction. Had I known that the whiteman traffic pattern was even there, I certainly would not have driven through it intentionally. I recommended a note be added to the chart bringing attention to the whitman airport traffic pattern and changing the wording on the 3000 ft restriction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEV EXCURSION FROM CHARTED VISUAL APCH ALT INTO BUR.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN CLRED BY BUR APCH CTL FOR THE 4 STACKS VISUAL APCH TO RWY 15 AT BURBANK WITH THE STANDARD INSTRUCTION TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT UNTIL TURNING FINAL. APCH CTL HAD BEEN CALLING OUT TFC (PRETTY MUCH CONTINUOUSLY, AS USUAL, WHICH WE OBSERVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED). IN THE TURN WE WERE SWITCHED OVER TO BUR TWR. WHEN WE CAME UP ON FREQ, THE TWR CTLR TOLD US TO WATCH OUT FOR OTHER TFC BECAUSE WE WERE FLYING THROUGH THE WHITEMAN ARPT TFC PATTERN AT TFC PATTERN ALT! I OBSERVED 2 OTHER ACFT IN THE VICINITY THAT POSED NO THREAT TO US (ALTHOUGH WE PROBABLY HAD THEIR ATTN). I CONTINUED TO RWY 15 AND LANDED. I THEN SPOKE WITH THE BUR TWR SUPVR ABOUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. HE SAID I DID NOT STAY AT 3000 FT AS INSTRUCTED. WHAT DID JUST HAPPEN? IT WAS A VERY CLR NIGHT AND I HAD THE ARPT VISUALLY ABOUT 15 MI OUT. WHEN I STARTED MY TURN TO FINAL AND DSCNT OUT OF 3000 FT I WAS FURTHER OUT (AROUND 9 NM) THAN I THOUGHT (NO DME AT BUR). I QUICKLY REALIZED IT AND LEVELED OFF AROUND 2200-2300 FT JUST WAITING TO REINTERCEPT THE RWY 15 VASIS. I WAS NOT FLYING THE EXACT 'DEPICTED' GND TRACK ON THE APCH PLATE (WHICH IS RECOMMENDED ONLY ACCORDING TO THE CVF PROCS), IN FACT I WAS FLYING JUST INSIDE THE BROKEN ARROW DEPICTION. I DID, IN FACT, COMPLY WITH THE 3000 FT RESTRICTION AND DID NOT LEAVE IT UNTIL I STARTED MY TURN. THE RESTRICTION, I'M NOW CONVINCED, SHOULD PROBABLY BE WORDED SOMETHING LIKE 'MAINTAIN 3000 FT UNTIL INTERCEPTING FINAL,' WHICH LEAVES LESS ROOM FOR INTERPRETATION. WHITEMAN ARPT IS DEPICTED ON THE APCH CHART BUT THERE IS NOTHING THAT GIVES YOU A HEADS UP CALL THAT THEIR TFC PATTERN EXTENDS OUT SO CLOSE TO THE EXTENDED FINAL OF RWY 15 AT BUR. THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE 3000 FT RESTRICTION. HAD I KNOWN THAT THE WHITEMAN TFC PATTERN WAS EVEN THERE, I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH IT INTENTIONALLY. I RECOMMENDED A NOTE BE ADDED TO THE CHART BRINGING ATTN TO THE WHITMAN ARPT TFC PATTERN AND CHANGING THE WORDING ON THE 3000 FT RESTRICTION.

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.