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Close proximity air carrier-medium large transport GA-small aircraft over river confluence on visual approach to pdx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 199747 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199201 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pdx |
| State Reference | OR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3200 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pdx |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 199747 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2000 vertical : 400 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Routine letdown into pdx terminal area. WX VFR (clear). Approach control cleared us for 'columbia visual 10R' as published 'traffic at 11 O'clock, 2 mi 3500 ft' called our attention to VFR aircraft passing over confluence toward us. We were out of 4000 descending for the visual. Approach control said 'he has your in sight: we say traffic only after TCASII RA 'descend' given at 3200 descending. VFR light aircraft passed overhead right to left. We increased descent rate until traffic observed, then resumed normal descent to visual approach 10R. After landing approach center was called to clarify why VFR traffic was crossing a published visual approach corridor chkpoint during normal air carrier operations. His reply was 'he was outside the arsa and we were not controling him'. He added, 'we try to discourage them from flying near confluence when we do contact them'. This is the second encounter with VFR light aircraft while descending on a published arrival procedure (with TCASII RA on both) in the last 2 days! Something is very wrong with the ATC system when VFR traffic is allowed to conflict with air carrier operations during critical phases of flight while on published arrival and departures from major airports. (The second encounter was near hightop in vicinity of ont airport). ATC procedures are inadequate when events such as these are commonplace.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG GA-SMA OVER RIVER CONFLUENCE ON VISUAL APCH TO PDX.
Narrative: ROUTINE LETDOWN INTO PDX TERMINAL AREA. WX VFR (CLR). APCH CTL CLRED US FOR 'COLUMBIA VISUAL 10R' AS PUBLISHED 'TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK, 2 MI 3500 FT' CALLED OUR ATTN TO VFR ACFT PASSING OVER CONFLUENCE TOWARD US. WE WERE OUT OF 4000 DSNDING FOR THE VISUAL. APCH CTL SAID 'HE HAS YOUR IN SIGHT: WE SAY TFC ONLY AFTER TCASII RA 'DSND' GIVEN AT 3200 DSNDING. VFR LIGHT ACFT PASSED OVERHEAD R TO L. WE INCREASED DSCNT RATE UNTIL TFC OBSERVED, THEN RESUMED NORMAL DSCNT TO VISUAL APCH 10R. AFTER LNDG APCH CTR WAS CALLED TO CLARIFY WHY VFR TFC WAS XING A PUBLISHED VISUAL APCH CORRIDOR CHKPOINT DURING NORMAL ACR OPS. HIS REPLY WAS 'HE WAS OUTSIDE THE ARSA AND WE WERE NOT CTLING HIM'. HE ADDED, 'WE TRY TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM FLYING NEAR CONFLUENCE WHEN WE DO CONTACT THEM'. THIS IS THE SECOND ENCOUNTER WITH VFR LIGHT ACFT WHILE DSNDING ON A PUBLISHED ARR PROC (WITH TCASII RA ON BOTH) IN THE LAST 2 DAYS! SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG WITH THE ATC SYS WHEN VFR TFC IS ALLOWED TO CONFLICT WITH AIR CARRIER OPS DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT WHILE ON PUBLISHED ARR AND DEPS FROM MAJOR ARPTS. (THE SECOND ENCOUNTER WAS NEAR HIGHTOP IN VICINITY OF ONT ARPT). ATC PROCS ARE INADEQUATE WHEN EVENTS SUCH AS THESE ARE COMMONPLACE.
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.