Narrative:

On vectored approach to oakland airport from a descent over sau VOR at 7000 ft MSL we were cleared to 5000 ft and vectored abeam oakland airport to the northeast as usual. An updated ATIS for oakland at XA00 left said to plan on an ILS 29 and visual approachs to runway 29 and runway 27's. The ATIS also advised of an airshow at hayward. The previous ATIS had not. We were cleared to 4000 ft MSL and turned in short of hayward airport and cleared to 3000 ft MSL for the visual to runway 27L at oakland. The first time we heard of runway 27L for planning purposes was just prior to or as we were turned in toward the runway. We advised we needed to land on runway 29. Approach told us to advise the tower and to switch frequency. At 3000 ft descending and 3-4 mi from the end of the airport we contacted oakland tower on the north complex tower frequency and told them we needed to land on runway 29. The high fast profile to the short runway was a sure recipe for disaster. The north complex tower switched us to the south complex tower frequency. We contacted the south complex tower and were given clearance to land on runway 29. By this time we were 90 degrees to the extended centerline of runway 29 and 2-3 mi from the end and passing about 2500 ft (no chance for even a reasonable approach). We told tower we were unable to make the landing and that we would like to continue out over the bay and make a descending turn for another approach. Tower cleared us as requested. We leveled at 1500 ft MSL, continued out over the water, and commenced our left turn to come around to intercept the centerline to runway 29 inbound at oakland. Passing a heading of about 120 degrees, tower (and probably approach control) saw that we were going to get too close to hayward airport and gave us a frantic turn southeast and then south and a climb to 2000 ft. I asked them if they wanted us to switch back to approach control which, after some delay, they did. Approach then vectored us well south and east around hayward airport for another very high drop off to runway 27L. We made an uncomfortable but under control and uneventful high fast straight-in approach to runway 27L at oakland. While we were on approach control frequency the second time the problem became clear. An airplane over hayward airshow and approach control was trying to vector airplanes inside hayward airport for visual approachs to oakland. While we were on the ground we observed other airliners, 1 B737 and 1 B727, encounter the same problem. The B737 made what appeared to be an approach to runway 27L then switched over to runway 29. The result was a low altitude high angle of bank close-in turn to final. It looked very uncomfortable from where we were sitting. The B727 apparently gave up and made a turn downwind over the water to try it again. This is a leadership supervisor problem: 1) the only NOTAM for the airshow we could find was 1 for hayward airport which should have been included in oakland NOTAMS. What happens at hayward affects oakland. 2) if an airshow is needed at hayward then oakland airport should be closed to large airplanes during the critical evolutions of the airshow. A clear area up to 5500 ft above hayward airport is not compatible with large aircraft trying to make approachs to oakland airport. Trying to do everything at the same time overloaded the system and the controllers and asked the pilots to do something that their airplanes are not designed to do. They need 3 mi for every 1000 ft of altitude not 1 mi for every 1000 ft altitude to make an approach. Supplemental information from acn 284201: ATC unsafe vectoring, communications and approach clearance for oak airport due to airshow at hayward airport -- 6 mi south. Last min planning by bay approach to vector air carrier to short runway (6000 ft) for landing. Poor handling, no prior notice on ATIS, no acknowledge by ATC to help -- obviously airshow priority, not safety of 130 passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC COM PROCS.

Narrative: ON VECTORED APCH TO OAKLAND ARPT FROM A DSCNT OVER SAU VOR AT 7000 FT MSL WE WERE CLRED TO 5000 FT AND VECTORED ABEAM OAKLAND ARPT TO THE NE AS USUAL. AN UPDATED ATIS FOR OAKLAND AT XA00 L SAID TO PLAN ON AN ILS 29 AND VISUAL APCHS TO RWY 29 AND RWY 27'S. THE ATIS ALSO ADVISED OF AN AIRSHOW AT HAYWARD. THE PREVIOUS ATIS HAD NOT. WE WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT MSL AND TURNED IN SHORT OF HAYWARD ARPT AND CLRED TO 3000 FT MSL FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 27L AT OAKLAND. THE FIRST TIME WE HEARD OF RWY 27L FOR PLANNING PURPOSES WAS JUST PRIOR TO OR AS WE WERE TURNED IN TOWARD THE RWY. WE ADVISED WE NEEDED TO LAND ON RWY 29. APCH TOLD US TO ADVISE THE TWR AND TO SWITCH FREQ. AT 3000 FT DSNDING AND 3-4 MI FROM THE END OF THE ARPT WE CONTACTED OAKLAND TWR ON THE N COMPLEX TWR FREQ AND TOLD THEM WE NEEDED TO LAND ON RWY 29. THE HIGH FAST PROFILE TO THE SHORT RWY WAS A SURE RECIPE FOR DISASTER. THE N COMPLEX TWR SWITCHED US TO THE S COMPLEX TWR FREQ. WE CONTACTED THE S COMPLEX TWR AND WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 29. BY THIS TIME WE WERE 90 DEGS TO THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 29 AND 2-3 MI FROM THE END AND PASSING ABOUT 2500 FT (NO CHANCE FOR EVEN A REASONABLE APCH). WE TOLD TWR WE WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE LNDG AND THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE OUT OVER THE BAY AND MAKE A DSNDING TURN FOR ANOTHER APCH. TWR CLRED US AS REQUESTED. WE LEVELED AT 1500 FT MSL, CONTINUED OUT OVER THE WATER, AND COMMENCED OUR L TURN TO COME AROUND TO INTERCEPT THE CTRLINE TO RWY 29 INBOUND AT OAKLAND. PASSING A HDG OF ABOUT 120 DEGS, TWR (AND PROBABLY APCH CTL) SAW THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET TOO CLOSE TO HAYWARD ARPT AND GAVE US A FRANTIC TURN SE AND THEN S AND A CLB TO 2000 FT. I ASKED THEM IF THEY WANTED US TO SWITCH BACK TO APCH CTL WHICH, AFTER SOME DELAY, THEY DID. APCH THEN VECTORED US WELL S AND E AROUND HAYWARD ARPT FOR ANOTHER VERY HIGH DROP OFF TO RWY 27L. WE MADE AN UNCOMFORTABLE BUT UNDER CTL AND UNEVENTFUL HIGH FAST STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 27L AT OAKLAND. WHILE WE WERE ON APCH CTL FREQ THE SECOND TIME THE PROB BECAME CLR. AN AIRPLANE OVER HAYWARD AIRSHOW AND APCH CTL WAS TRYING TO VECTOR AIRPLANES INSIDE HAYWARD ARPT FOR VISUAL APCHS TO OAKLAND. WHILE WE WERE ON THE GND WE OBSERVED OTHER AIRLINERS, 1 B737 AND 1 B727, ENCOUNTER THE SAME PROB. THE B737 MADE WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN APCH TO RWY 27L THEN SWITCHED OVER TO RWY 29. THE RESULT WAS A LOW ALT HIGH ANGLE OF BANK CLOSE-IN TURN TO FINAL. IT LOOKED VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FROM WHERE WE WERE SITTING. THE B727 APPARENTLY GAVE UP AND MADE A TURN DOWNWIND OVER THE WATER TO TRY IT AGAIN. THIS IS A LEADERSHIP SUPVR PROB: 1) THE ONLY NOTAM FOR THE AIRSHOW WE COULD FIND WAS 1 FOR HAYWARD ARPT WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN OAKLAND NOTAMS. WHAT HAPPENS AT HAYWARD AFFECTS OAKLAND. 2) IF AN AIRSHOW IS NEEDED AT HAYWARD THEN OAKLAND ARPT SHOULD BE CLOSED TO LARGE AIRPLANES DURING THE CRITICAL EVOLUTIONS OF THE AIRSHOW. A CLR AREA UP TO 5500 FT ABOVE HAYWARD ARPT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH LARGE ACFT TRYING TO MAKE APCHS TO OAKLAND ARPT. TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING AT THE SAME TIME OVERLOADED THE SYS AND THE CTLRS AND ASKED THE PLTS TO DO SOMETHING THAT THEIR AIRPLANES ARE NOT DESIGNED TO DO. THEY NEED 3 MI FOR EVERY 1000 FT OF ALT NOT 1 MI FOR EVERY 1000 FT ALT TO MAKE AN APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 284201: ATC UNSAFE VECTORING, COMS AND APCH CLRNC FOR OAK ARPT DUE TO AIRSHOW AT HAYWARD ARPT -- 6 MI S. LAST MIN PLANNING BY BAY APCH TO VECTOR ACR TO SHORT RWY (6000 FT) FOR LNDG. POOR HANDLING, NO PRIOR NOTICE ON ATIS, NO ACKNOWLEDGE BY ATC TO HELP -- OBVIOUSLY AIRSHOW PRIORITY, NOT SAFETY OF 130 PAX.

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.