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An air carrier crew, while making an ILS approach in VMC, at a busy time at iah, found that there were 2 small aircraft making a pipeline patrol under the ILS.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 223045 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199209 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iah |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 900 agl bound upper : 900 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : iah |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10200 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 223045 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 500 vertical : 1800 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
During the middle of an inbound rush at a busy hub-airport, iah tower allowed 2 pipeline patrol smas to operate within the airport boundary. Approach handed us to the tower for the visual to runway 27. Unable to check in with the tower as she was involved talking to the 2 non-priority smas. We were configured with final flaps inside the OM at 900 ft AGL when landing clearance was received with no TA from tower. The small aircraft was dong 360 degree turns 1/4 mi south of the localizer at 400 AGL. When I questioned tower about the traffic, tower replied that the small aircraft had us visually and was no factor. I replied that the traffic was indeed a factor as we passed within 500 ft vertically and 1/4 mi horizontally. Tower supervisor later stated that as long as we both had each other visually 'legal separation' was maintained and no incident occurred. I replied that even though it may have been 'legal separation' an unsafe and very distracting situation took place seconds from touchdown. The irony of the entire deal was that 5-10 mins after our arrival, the inbound rush was over and the 2 pipeline patrol smas could have done anything they needed to do without conflict. Instead, the tower allowed non- priority traffic to jeopardize the safety of air carrier operations during a busy, critical phase of flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR CREW, WHILE MAKING AN ILS APCH IN VMC, AT A BUSY TIME AT IAH, FOUND THAT THERE WERE 2 SMA MAKING A PIPELINE PATROL UNDER THE ILS.
Narrative: DURING THE MIDDLE OF AN INBOUND RUSH AT A BUSY HUB-ARPT, IAH TWR ALLOWED 2 PIPELINE PATROL SMAS TO OPERATE WITHIN THE ARPT BOUNDARY. APCH HANDED US TO THE TWR FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 27. UNABLE TO CHK IN WITH THE TWR AS SHE WAS INVOLVED TALKING TO THE 2 NON-PRIORITY SMAS. WE WERE CONFIGURED WITH FINAL FLAPS INSIDE THE OM AT 900 FT AGL WHEN LNDG CLRNC WAS RECEIVED WITH NO TA FROM TWR. THE SMA WAS DONG 360 DEG TURNS 1/4 MI S OF THE LOC AT 400 AGL. WHEN I QUESTIONED TWR ABOUT THE TFC, TWR REPLIED THAT THE SMA HAD US VISUALLY AND WAS NO FACTOR. I REPLIED THAT THE TFC WAS INDEED A FACTOR AS WE PASSED WITHIN 500 FT VERTICALLY AND 1/4 MI HORIZLY. TWR SUPVR LATER STATED THAT AS LONG AS WE BOTH HAD EACH OTHER VISUALLY 'LEGAL SEPARATION' WAS MAINTAINED AND NO INCIDENT OCCURRED. I REPLIED THAT EVEN THOUGH IT MAY HAVE BEEN 'LEGAL SEPARATION' AN UNSAFE AND VERY DISTRACTING SITUATION TOOK PLACE SECONDS FROM TOUCHDOWN. THE IRONY OF THE ENTIRE DEAL WAS THAT 5-10 MINS AFTER OUR ARR, THE INBOUND RUSH WAS OVER AND THE 2 PIPELINE PATROL SMAS COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING THEY NEEDED TO DO WITHOUT CONFLICT. INSTEAD, THE TWR ALLOWED NON- PRIORITY TFC TO JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF ACR OPS DURING A BUSY, CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT.
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.