Narrative:

Flew into slc 3 times this month. I have spoken to chief pilot, written NASA forms and talked to pilot's union about frequent mishandling of aircraft by ATC in the slc area before this incident and I probably will continue to do so. From slam dunks to forcing visual approachs after placing aircraft at minimum separation, the abuse continues. It is now complicated with another runway added in this constricted airspace. In one instance, we were placed high on a downwind for runway 16R and were told to follow an aircraft that was turning base 4 mi away. The captain (a CRM nightmare) called it in sight. I told him, as I was flying, that I would not be able to pick the plane out from the lights on the mountainside, to no avail. Did I mention that there were also airplanes on approach to runways 16L and 17? Or that ATC tried to make us severely undershoot the centerline even after clearing us for the visual, thanks to captain 'queeg'? Please send the feds in to clean up this mess before someone is killed. There isn't much room to maneuver to resolve an ATC induced conflict. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is flying as first officer on the L1011. He is concerned that slc is apparently trying to jam too many aircraft into a small airspace. The reporter feels that the ATC system is trying to rely too heavily on the pilots to provide separation on visual approachs. Three runways were in operation this night, and it was difficult to sort out which aircraft to follow in the city lights on the mountainside. The reporter suggests that the FAA send in a team of outside ATC specialists to evaluate the situation and possibly bring a new approach to the problem. The reporter believes that slc TRACON could begin making separation further away from the airport so that the aircraft can stay on the published stars longer. The reporter is now aware of the FAA safety hotline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FO COMPLAINS ABOUT TRACON HANDLING OF TFC IN VMC CONDITIONS AT SLC.

Narrative: FLEW INTO SLC 3 TIMES THIS MONTH. I HAVE SPOKEN TO CHIEF PLT, WRITTEN NASA FORMS AND TALKED TO PLT'S UNION ABOUT FREQUENT MISHANDLING OF ACFT BY ATC IN THE SLC AREA BEFORE THIS INCIDENT AND I PROBABLY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. FROM SLAM DUNKS TO FORCING VISUAL APCHS AFTER PLACING ACFT AT MINIMUM SEPARATION, THE ABUSE CONTINUES. IT IS NOW COMPLICATED WITH ANOTHER RWY ADDED IN THIS CONSTRICTED AIRSPACE. IN ONE INSTANCE, WE WERE PLACED HIGH ON A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16R AND WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW AN ACFT THAT WAS TURNING BASE 4 MI AWAY. THE CAPT (A CRM NIGHTMARE) CALLED IT IN SIGHT. I TOLD HIM, AS I WAS FLYING, THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PICK THE PLANE OUT FROM THE LIGHTS ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE, TO NO AVAIL. DID I MENTION THAT THERE WERE ALSO AIRPLANES ON APCH TO RWYS 16L AND 17? OR THAT ATC TRIED TO MAKE US SEVERELY UNDERSHOOT THE CENTERLINE EVEN AFTER CLRING US FOR THE VISUAL, THANKS TO CAPT 'QUEEG'? PLEASE SEND THE FEDS IN TO CLEAN UP THIS MESS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THERE ISN'T MUCH ROOM TO MANEUVER TO RESOLVE AN ATC INDUCED CONFLICT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS FLYING AS FO ON THE L1011. HE IS CONCERNED THAT SLC IS APPARENTLY TRYING TO JAM TOO MANY ACFT INTO A SMALL AIRSPACE. THE RPTR FEELS THAT THE ATC SYS IS TRYING TO RELY TOO HEAVILY ON THE PLTS TO PROVIDE SEPARATION ON VISUAL APCHS. THREE RWYS WERE IN OP THIS NIGHT, AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SORT OUT WHICH ACFT TO FOLLOW IN THE CITY LIGHTS ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE. THE RPTR SUGGESTS THAT THE FAA SEND IN A TEAM OF OUTSIDE ATC SPECIALISTS TO EVALUATE THE SIT AND POSSIBLY BRING A NEW APCH TO THE PROB. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT SLC TRACON COULD BEGIN MAKING SEPARATION FURTHER AWAY FROM THE ARPT SO THAT THE ACFT CAN STAY ON THE PUBLISHED STARS LONGER. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE.

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.