Narrative:

I released my student for a local area solo, out of falcon field, mesa, az. He remained in the traffic pattern for 5 lndgs and then proceeded to his practice area. About 30 mins later he returned to falcon field. I had instructed him to make 5 more lndgs when he returned. Upon his return the field was quite busy. He requested permission for touch-and-go lndgs 2 times, but the tower did not answer him. When they finally talked to him they informed him he was #3 for a landing on 22L. He saw 2 airplanes in front of him and fell in behind the last aircraft. The tower then informed him that he had cut out the aircraft that he was supposed to follow, even though he could still see 2 aircraft ahead of him. The tower requested that he do a 360 to the left and roll out on final again. He made the 360 degree turn and they cleared him to land on 22L. My student thought that he was cleared for a touch-and-go landing and proceeded to do one. The tower became very upset and brought him around for a full stop landing on 22L. The tower requested that he give them a call. After a lengthy discussion with the controller the matter was resolved. This incident has prompted me to write you about the traffic pattern in effect at falcon field. I have been flying out of falcon field for a little over 6 yrs. I have been an active pilot for 31 yrs and have accumulated over 22000 hours of flying time. Falcon field has 2 parallel runways fairly close together. Both traffic patterns are on the west side of the airport. The pattern for 4R-22L is flown at 2700 ft MSL and the pattern for 4L-22R is flown at 2200 ft MSL. The mcdonnell-douglas helicopter production facility is also located on the west side of the airport. The phoenix area is a heavy training area for german, japanese and french students, both fixed wing and helicopter. It is possible to have up to 4 helicopter patterns as well as 2 fixed wing aircraft patterns in progress at the same time on the west side of the airport. Falcon tower does not use a left and right traffic pattern because of a housing development on the east side of the airport. As I understand it, this prevents the tower from using more than 1 controller to work the tower traffic and also restricts them from using a tower frequency for the left runway and another frequency for the right side. This tower is a VFR tower. It has no radar! 2 landing patterns stacked on top of each other with only 500 ft of vertical separation does not leave much margin for error. You couple this situation with a large amount of student pilot instruction and traffic and students that are having a little difficulty with the english language and I think you have a real safety problem. It has been my observation that the increase in airport traffic and the difficulty in controling it has frustrated the controllers. I think they are less tolerant in their dealings with the pilots. I feel the controllers are doing a good job but the airport situation puts abnormal demands on their workday. They are doing the best they can under these conditions. To me the obvious solution is to have a left and right traffic pattern and 2 tower frequencys. Deer valley airport in phoenix does this and does not seem to have the problems that falcon field has.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI ALLEGEDLY CUT ACFT OUT OF PATTERN. CFI CONCERN REF FFZ TFC PATTERN CONGESTION WITH PARALLEL RWYS, PATTERNS STACKED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER ON SAME SIDE OF RWYS.

Narrative: I RELEASED MY STUDENT FOR A LCL AREA SOLO, OUT OF FALCON FIELD, MESA, AZ. HE REMAINED IN THE TFC PATTERN FOR 5 LNDGS AND THEN PROCEEDED TO HIS PRACTICE AREA. ABOUT 30 MINS LATER HE RETURNED TO FALCON FIELD. I HAD INSTRUCTED HIM TO MAKE 5 MORE LNDGS WHEN HE RETURNED. UPON HIS RETURN THE FIELD WAS QUITE BUSY. HE REQUESTED PERMISSION FOR TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS 2 TIMES, BUT THE TWR DID NOT ANSWER HIM. WHEN THEY FINALLY TALKED TO HIM THEY INFORMED HIM HE WAS #3 FOR A LNDG ON 22L. HE SAW 2 AIRPLANES IN FRONT OF HIM AND FELL IN BEHIND THE LAST ACFT. THE TWR THEN INFORMED HIM THAT HE HAD CUT OUT THE ACFT THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW, EVEN THOUGH HE COULD STILL SEE 2 ACFT AHEAD OF HIM. THE TWR REQUESTED THAT HE DO A 360 TO THE L AND ROLL OUT ON FINAL AGAIN. HE MADE THE 360 DEG TURN AND THEY CLRED HIM TO LAND ON 22L. MY STUDENT THOUGHT THAT HE WAS CLRED FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG AND PROCEEDED TO DO ONE. THE TWR BECAME VERY UPSET AND BROUGHT HIM AROUND FOR A FULL STOP LNDG ON 22L. THE TWR REQUESTED THAT HE GIVE THEM A CALL. AFTER A LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH THE CTLR THE MATTER WAS RESOLVED. THIS INCIDENT HAS PROMPTED ME TO WRITE YOU ABOUT THE TFC PATTERN IN EFFECT AT FALCON FIELD. I HAVE BEEN FLYING OUT OF FALCON FIELD FOR A LITTLE OVER 6 YRS. I HAVE BEEN AN ACTIVE PLT FOR 31 YRS AND HAVE ACCUMULATED OVER 22000 HRS OF FLYING TIME. FALCON FIELD HAS 2 PARALLEL RWYS FAIRLY CLOSE TOGETHER. BOTH TFC PATTERNS ARE ON THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT. THE PATTERN FOR 4R-22L IS FLOWN AT 2700 FT MSL AND THE PATTERN FOR 4L-22R IS FLOWN AT 2200 FT MSL. THE MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS HELI PRODUCTION FACILITY IS ALSO LOCATED ON THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT. THE PHOENIX AREA IS A HVY TRAINING AREA FOR GERMAN, JAPANESE AND FRENCH STUDENTS, BOTH FIXED WING AND HELI. IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE UP TO 4 HELI PATTERNS AS WELL AS 2 FIXED WING ACFT PATTERNS IN PROGRESS AT THE SAME TIME ON THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT. FALCON TWR DOES NOT USE A L AND R TFC PATTERN BECAUSE OF A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS PREVENTS THE TWR FROM USING MORE THAN 1 CTLR TO WORK THE TWR TFC AND ALSO RESTRICTS THEM FROM USING A TWR FREQ FOR THE L RWY AND ANOTHER FREQ FOR THE R SIDE. THIS TWR IS A VFR TWR. IT HAS NO RADAR! 2 LNDG PATTERNS STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER WITH ONLY 500 FT OF VERT SEPARATION DOES NOT LEAVE MUCH MARGIN FOR ERROR. YOU COUPLE THIS SITUATION WITH A LARGE AMOUNT OF STUDENT PLT INSTRUCTION AND TFC AND STUDENTS THAT ARE HAVING A LITTLE DIFFICULTY WITH THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND I THINK YOU HAVE A REAL SAFETY PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN MY OBSERVATION THAT THE INCREASE IN ARPT TFC AND THE DIFFICULTY IN CTLING IT HAS FRUSTRATED THE CTLRS. I THINK THEY ARE LESS TOLERANT IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH THE PLTS. I FEEL THE CTLRS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB BUT THE ARPT SITUATION PUTS ABNORMAL DEMANDS ON THEIR WORKDAY. THEY ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. TO ME THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION IS TO HAVE A L AND R TFC PATTERN AND 2 TWR FREQS. DEER VALLEY ARPT IN PHOENIX DOES THIS AND DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE THE PROBLEMS THAT FALCON FIELD HAS.

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.