Narrative:

Zuehl is a private airport that has an FAA approved aerobatic box from surface to 3000 ft AGL. The box is located on the downwind east for runway 17/35 and is not controled by anyone. Aircraft routinely enter the downwind not knowing about traffic in the box and this has resulted in several near misses. Most aircraft in box do not have radios or if they do they don't turn them on. Another problem is aircraft departing and arriving randolph AFB often fly through the box and this has resulted in 3 near misses that I have witnessed in the last 10 days. When sat approach is contacted they never know that the box is active. I have been arriving from austin, tx and ask sat approach if there is traffic in the aerobatic box at zuehl and been told no-only to find a pitts upside down across downwind at my altitude. On sep/xx/94 an aerobatic monoplane was working very aggressively in the box when a medflt helicopter went through the box and came within about 300 ft of the aerobatic aircraft. About 2 mins later 2 F-16's departing randolph came within a few hundred ft of the same monoplane as they departed randolph AFB at about 3500 ft AGL. Another problem is that the aerobatic aircraft often leave the box to put on a show over the active runway which is in use at the time. The point to all of this is that a responsible person must be in charge of the box. Today it is just a free for all -- heads up! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter is an experienced pilot and user of the airport. From his viewpoint as an observer on the ground and PF, the situation is hazardous. He has called this situation to the attention of the flight safety district office several times. Reporter states that sat approach controls the aerobatic airspace, however, analyst cannot find a convenient way to be notified that sat is the controling agency. Reporter says it is not even mentioned in the NOTAMS. Reporter called analyst back to report other helpful information. Which is, sat approach is to keep randolph tower informed of aircraft in aerobatic box. Sat approach is the weak link, in his view, in this process. Heavy traffic uses the box on wkends and randolph tower has heavy traffic on wkends with various cargo and fgt type aircraft. The randolph traffic pattern goes across the box at about 2000 ft. Randolph tower and sat approach are to work together with this traffic management but evidently they do not work well together. Another problem for traffic management is that in reporter's estimation only 50 percent of the aircraft in the box have radios.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE TFC CONFLICTS.

Narrative: ZUEHL IS A PVT ARPT THAT HAS AN FAA APPROVED AEROBATIC BOX FROM SURFACE TO 3000 FT AGL. THE BOX IS LOCATED ON THE DOWNWIND E FOR RWY 17/35 AND IS NOT CTLED BY ANYONE. ACFT ROUTINELY ENTER THE DOWNWIND NOT KNOWING ABOUT TFC IN THE BOX AND THIS HAS RESULTED IN SEVERAL NEAR MISSES. MOST ACFT IN BOX DO NOT HAVE RADIOS OR IF THEY DO THEY DON'T TURN THEM ON. ANOTHER PROB IS ACFT DEPARTING AND ARRIVING RANDOLPH AFB OFTEN FLY THROUGH THE BOX AND THIS HAS RESULTED IN 3 NEAR MISSES THAT I HAVE WITNESSED IN THE LAST 10 DAYS. WHEN SAT APCH IS CONTACTED THEY NEVER KNOW THAT THE BOX IS ACTIVE. I HAVE BEEN ARRIVING FROM AUSTIN, TX AND ASK SAT APCH IF THERE IS TFC IN THE AEROBATIC BOX AT ZUEHL AND BEEN TOLD NO-ONLY TO FIND A PITTS UPSIDE DOWN ACROSS DOWNWIND AT MY ALT. ON SEP/XX/94 AN AEROBATIC MONOPLANE WAS WORKING VERY AGGRESSIVELY IN THE BOX WHEN A MEDFLT HELI WENT THROUGH THE BOX AND CAME WITHIN ABOUT 300 FT OF THE AEROBATIC ACFT. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER 2 F-16'S DEPARTING RANDOLPH CAME WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FT OF THE SAME MONOPLANE AS THEY DEPARTED RANDOLPH AFB AT ABOUT 3500 FT AGL. ANOTHER PROB IS THAT THE AEROBATIC ACFT OFTEN LEAVE THE BOX TO PUT ON A SHOW OVER THE ACTIVE RWY WHICH IS IN USE AT THE TIME. THE POINT TO ALL OF THIS IS THAT A RESPONSIBLE PERSON MUST BE IN CHARGE OF THE BOX. TODAY IT IS JUST A FREE FOR ALL -- HEADS UP! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS AN EXPERIENCED PLT AND USER OF THE ARPT. FROM HIS VIEWPOINT AS AN OBSERVER ON THE GND AND PF, THE SIT IS HAZARDOUS. HE HAS CALLED THIS SIT TO THE ATTN OF THE FLT SAFETY DISTRICT OFFICE SEVERAL TIMES. RPTR STATES THAT SAT APCH CTLS THE AEROBATIC AIRSPACE, HOWEVER, ANALYST CANNOT FIND A CONVENIENT WAY TO BE NOTIFIED THAT SAT IS THE CTLING AGENCY. RPTR SAYS IT IS NOT EVEN MENTIONED IN THE NOTAMS. RPTR CALLED ANALYST BACK TO RPT OTHER HELPFUL INFO. WHICH IS, SAT APCH IS TO KEEP RANDOLPH TWR INFORMED OF ACFT IN AEROBATIC BOX. SAT APCH IS THE WEAK LINK, IN HIS VIEW, IN THIS PROCESS. HVY TFC USES THE BOX ON WKENDS AND RANDOLPH TWR HAS HVY TFC ON WKENDS WITH VARIOUS CARGO AND FGT TYPE ACFT. THE RANDOLPH TFC PATTERN GOES ACROSS THE BOX AT ABOUT 2000 FT. RANDOLPH TWR AND SAT APCH ARE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THIS TFC MGMNT BUT EVIDENTLY THEY DO NOT WORK WELL TOGETHER. ANOTHER PROB FOR TFC MGMNT IS THAT IN RPTR'S ESTIMATION ONLY 50 PERCENT OF THE ACFT IN THE BOX HAVE RADIOS.

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.