Large transport unauthorized airspace entry late frequency change to tower.

Attributes
ACN	245521
Time
Date	199307
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gjt
State Reference	CO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gjt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 7
ASRS Report	245521
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Gjtt is a non radar approach control facility. The local controller does not have a BRITE radar to assist him in sequencing arriving traffic, or separating arriving and departing traffic. There are certain individuals in this facility who have developed a habit of, when working approach control, transferring communications of arriving IFR traffic when those aircraft have already entered the local controller's airspace. I.e., on downwind or on left/right base or on a 5 mi final (for runway 11, if the pilot is reading his DME rather than estimating his distance, that would be 3 mi from the approach end of the runway) or over the river on final (for runway 29 the river is within 3.5 mi from the approach end). This situation could be very acceptable and efficient if we had a BRITE to sequence traffic with, however, because of the lack of equipment to determine the position of inbound IFR aircraft, this situation creates additional work for the local controller and could lead to an incident if the local controller is not aware of the inbound traffic, and especially if the local controller has traffic in the closed traffic pattern. I.e., I had an small aircraft in left closed traffic to runway 22. The approach controller instructed an air carrier to 'call tower on downwind' after the approach controller cleared the pilot for a visual approach to runway 29. This situation could lead to a serious problem. The local controller does not have sufficient time to issue TA's to the inbound aircraft nor other aircraft that he may be in contact with at the time. The same controller instructed a previous arriving aircraft to call tower over the river on final. Small transport from the southeast. When the small transport had called over the river, small aircraft had just turned his crosswind for runway 22. If the small aircraft had been flying a wide pattern, this situation could have resulted in a serious problem. Transfer of communications should be in accordance with ATC manual 7110.65 paragraph 2-14(a) and paragraph 2-17(a).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT UNAUTH AIRSPACE ENTRY LATE FREQ CHANGE TO TWR.

Narrative: GJTT IS A NON RADAR APCH CTL FACILITY. THE LCL CTLR DOES NOT HAVE A BRITE RADAR TO ASSIST HIM IN SEQUENCING ARRIVING TFC, OR SEPARATING ARRIVING AND DEPARTING TFC. THERE ARE CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS IN THIS FACILITY WHO HAVE DEVELOPED A HABIT OF, WHEN WORKING APCH CTL, TRANSFERRING COMS OF ARRIVING IFR TFC WHEN THOSE ACFT HAVE ALREADY ENTERED THE LCL CTLR'S AIRSPACE. I.E., ON DOWNWIND OR ON L/R BASE OR ON A 5 MI FINAL (FOR RWY 11, IF THE PLT IS READING HIS DME RATHER THAN ESTIMATING HIS DISTANCE, THAT WOULD BE 3 MI FROM THE APCH END OF THE RWY) OR OVER THE RIVER ON FINAL (FOR RWY 29 THE RIVER IS WITHIN 3.5 MI FROM THE APCH END). THIS SIT COULD BE VERY ACCEPTABLE AND EFFICIENT IF WE HAD A BRITE TO SEQUENCE TFC WITH, HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF EQUIP TO DETERMINE THE POS OF INBOUND IFR ACFT, THIS SIT CREATES ADDITIONAL WORK FOR THE LCL CTLR AND COULD LEAD TO AN INCIDENT IF THE LCL CTLR IS NOT AWARE OF THE INBOUND TFC, AND ESPECIALLY IF THE LCL CTLR HAS TFC IN THE CLOSED TFC PATTERN. I.E., I HAD AN SMA IN L CLOSED TFC TO RWY 22. THE APCH CTLR INSTRUCTED AN ACR TO 'CALL TWR ON DOWNWIND' AFTER THE APCH CTLR CLRED THE PLT FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 29. THIS SIT COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS PROB. THE LCL CTLR DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO ISSUE TA'S TO THE INBOUND ACFT NOR OTHER ACFT THAT HE MAY BE IN CONTACT WITH AT THE TIME. THE SAME CTLR INSTRUCTED A PREVIOUS ARRIVING ACFT TO CALL TWR OVER THE RIVER ON FINAL. SMT FROM THE SE. WHEN THE SMT HAD CALLED OVER THE RIVER, SMA HAD JUST TURNED HIS XWIND FOR RWY 22. IF THE SMA HAD BEEN FLYING A WIDE PATTERN, THIS SIT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS PROB. TRANSFER OF COMS SHOULD BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ATC MANUAL 7110.65 PARAGRAPH 2-14(A) AND PARAGRAPH 2-17(A).

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.