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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Small transport has engine problem and declared emergency to land at joint civil, military airport. Approach and tower give vectors, 360S and 2 90 degree turns instead of priority emergency handling.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 214404 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199207 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sps |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1015 msl bound upper : 14000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sps |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other landing other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2201 flight time type : 19 |
| ASRS Report | 214404 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
While in cruise at 14000 ft wbound between wichita falls, childress VORTAC's small transport experienced a sudden/severe vibration. After notifying ATC of the difficulty and isolating the problem to the right engine, I decided to land at wichita falls at the combined sheppard AFB/wichita falls municiple airport. Subsequent instructions and demands by sheppard approach and tower personnel contributed to a potential dangerous situation. Highlights of their mishandling include numerous frequency changes and no/slow answer by the new frequencys, repeated demands that the aircraft first 'go to the VORTAC, crossing at or below 2300 ft MSL to enter right traffic' for the civilian runway. This demand continued even after an emergency was declared and requests for vectors directly to the runway were made. The af personnel repeatedly stated 'do not encroach into any airspace east of runway 17R' due to MTR training. Their insistence caused unnecessary low level maneuvers including 1-360 and 2-90 degree turns at low speed. Their lack of assistance and actual interference in a sensible approach was dangerous and should be modified. Training could have be delayed 5 mins.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMT HAS ENG PROBLEM AND DECLARED EMER TO LAND AT JOINT CIVIL, MIL ARPT. APCH AND TWR GIVE VECTORS, 360S AND 2 90 DEG TURNS INSTEAD OF PRIORITY EMER HANDLING.
Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE AT 14000 FT WBOUND BTWN WICHITA FALLS, CHILDRESS VORTAC'S SMT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN/SEVERE VIBRATION. AFTER NOTIFYING ATC OF THE DIFFICULTY AND ISOLATING THE PROBLEM TO THE R ENG, I DECIDED TO LAND AT WICHITA FALLS AT THE COMBINED SHEPPARD AFB/WICHITA FALLS MUNICIPLE ARPT. SUBSEQUENT INSTRUCTIONS AND DEMANDS BY SHEPPARD APCH AND TWR PERSONNEL CONTRIBUTED TO A POTENTIAL DANGEROUS SITUATION. HIGHLIGHTS OF THEIR MISHANDLING INCLUDE NUMEROUS FREQ CHANGES AND NO/SLOW ANSWER BY THE NEW FREQS, REPEATED DEMANDS THAT THE ACFT FIRST 'GO TO THE VORTAC, XING AT OR BELOW 2300 FT MSL TO ENTER R TFC' FOR THE CIVILIAN RWY. THIS DEMAND CONTINUED EVEN AFTER AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND REQUESTS FOR VECTORS DIRECTLY TO THE RWY WERE MADE. THE AF PERSONNEL REPEATEDLY STATED 'DO NOT ENCROACH INTO ANY AIRSPACE E OF RWY 17R' DUE TO MTR TRAINING. THEIR INSISTENCE CAUSED UNNECESSARY LOW LEVEL MANEUVERS INCLUDING 1-360 AND 2-90 DEG TURNS AT LOW SPD. THEIR LACK OF ASSISTANCE AND ACTUAL INTERFERENCE IN A SENSIBLE APCH WAS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE MODIFIED. TRAINING COULD HAVE BE DELAYED 5 MINS.
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.