Unsafe ATC technique in apa air traffic area.

Attributes
ACN	236212
Time
Date	199303
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : apa
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : apa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 550 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	236212
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I am based at centennial. In general, I find it is often dangerous in the air traffic area. Tower controllers, when busy, take little notice of separation. On the day mentioned, on 2, and I believe, more occasions, 2 or more aircraft were cleared to and on the same runway. The controller was trying but appeared to be completely overloaded and unable to handle the situation. A plane crashed during this time. I believe he had been cleared to land when another plane recognized the conflict, volunteered to do a 360, was again cleared to land, another conflict arose, there was confusion and he crashed. I don't think the confusion had much to do with the crash. However, it certainly occupied controller's time. A few minutes later a small aircraft was cleared to land on runway 35R. I was approaching runway 28. The controller said small aircraft not cleared for runway 35R and sent him to runway 28. We were both cleared for runway 28. I questioned the conflict. Confusion followed and I went around, was cleared, too early, for runway 35R and more confusion followed. During all this, very little effort was put to separation. The skies were crowded. It was very confusing and dangerous. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was advised of separation standards in a traffic pattern and that see and avoid was the primary separation. Reporter advised to call the facility manager for a tour of the tower and voice his concern about the unsafe ATC operation at apa.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNSAFE ATC TECHNIQUE IN APA ATA.

Narrative: I AM BASED AT CENTENNIAL. IN GENERAL, I FIND IT IS OFTEN DANGEROUS IN THE ATA. TWR CTLRS, WHEN BUSY, TAKE LITTLE NOTICE OF SEPARATION. ON THE DAY MENTIONED, ON 2, AND I BELIEVE, MORE OCCASIONS, 2 OR MORE ACFT WERE CLRED TO AND ON THE SAME RWY. THE CTLR WAS TRYING BUT APPEARED TO BE COMPLETELY OVERLOADED AND UNABLE TO HANDLE THE SIT. A PLANE CRASHED DURING THIS TIME. I BELIEVE HE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND WHEN ANOTHER PLANE RECOGNIZED THE CONFLICT, VOLUNTEERED TO DO A 360, WAS AGAIN CLRED TO LAND, ANOTHER CONFLICT AROSE, THERE WAS CONFUSION AND HE CRASHED. I DON'T THINK THE CONFUSION HAD MUCH TO DO WITH THE CRASH. HOWEVER, IT CERTAINLY OCCUPIED CTLR'S TIME. A FEW MINUTES LATER A SMA WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35R. I WAS APCHING RWY 28. THE CTLR SAID SMA NOT CLRED FOR RWY 35R AND SENT HIM TO RWY 28. WE WERE BOTH CLRED FOR RWY 28. I QUESTIONED THE CONFLICT. CONFUSION FOLLOWED AND I WENT AROUND, WAS CLRED, TOO EARLY, FOR RWY 35R AND MORE CONFUSION FOLLOWED. DURING ALL THIS, VERY LITTLE EFFORT WAS PUT TO SEPARATION. THE SKIES WERE CROWDED. IT WAS VERY CONFUSING AND DANGEROUS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS ADVISED OF SEPARATION STANDARDS IN A TFC PATTERN AND THAT SEE AND AVOID WAS THE PRIMARY SEPARATION. RPTR ADVISED TO CALL THE FACILITY MGR FOR A TOUR OF THE TWR AND VOICE HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE UNSAFE ATC OP AT APA.

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.