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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A revised turbo-jet routing from cos to den increases an area of known glider activity north of cos. Glider flts exceed 12000 ft in this area. This incident has caused a safety concern because glider activity is expected to increase during the summer season.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 332394 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199604 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cos |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : den tracon : cos |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Sail Plane |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 332394 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 3000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Air carrier X B727 departed cos airport en route to den. Per den LOA, air carrier X was vectored to intercept the FQF173R at 12000 ft. The FQF173R lays on top of black forest glider port approximately 16 mi north of the cos VOR. Primary targets were observed in the vicinity of the glider port. Air carrier X was issued traffic as type and altitude unknown. When issued traffic 12 O'clock 2 mi type and altitude unknown air carrier X requested a vector and was issued a 20 degree left turn. Air carrier X reported a glider red and white at 12000 ft and thanked us for the vector. This problem was caused by the procedures for den and total disregard for where glider ports are. The arrival to den from cos needs to be changed from the FQF173R. This procedure was set up in oct of 1995 when there was little or no glider activity due to winter WX. Now with summer coming on there will be more glider activity in this area. As a controller I just hope that the primary targets will always show up. Callback conversation with cos TRACON revealed the following information: analyst called cos TRACON and spoke to a procedures specialist regarding the incident. Specialist was aware of the area and route that overflies the glider port. The specialist claims that the route was developed last october (1995) because of numerous noise complaints caused by the traffic flows into and out of the new den airport. The noise complaints escalated to the congressional level and finally the solution was allegedly mandated back down from the secretary of transportation who advised all parties that the complaints had to be acted upon and solved quickly. Several rtes, including this one, were changed at the direction of DOT. Needless to say this was a very high profile problem and solution. The specialist doubts that any new changes will be considered.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A REVISED TURBO-JET ROUTING FROM COS TO DEN INCREASES AN AREA OF KNOWN GLIDER ACTIVITY N OF COS. GLIDER FLTS EXCEED 12000 FT IN THIS AREA. THIS INCIDENT HAS CAUSED A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE GLIDER ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE DURING THE SUMMER SEASON.
Narrative: ACR X B727 DEPARTED COS ARPT ENRTE TO DEN. PER DEN LOA, ACR X WAS VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE FQF173R AT 12000 FT. THE FQF173R LAYS ON TOP OF BLACK FOREST GLIDER PORT APPROX 16 MI N OF THE COS VOR. PRIMARY TARGETS WERE OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE GLIDER PORT. ACR X WAS ISSUED TFC AS TYPE AND ALT UNKNOWN. WHEN ISSUED TFC 12 O'CLOCK 2 MI TYPE AND ALT UNKNOWN ACR X REQUESTED A VECTOR AND WAS ISSUED A 20 DEG L TURN. ACR X RPTED A GLIDER RED AND WHITE AT 12000 FT AND THANKED US FOR THE VECTOR. THIS PROB WAS CAUSED BY THE PROCS FOR DEN AND TOTAL DISREGARD FOR WHERE GLIDER PORTS ARE. THE ARR TO DEN FROM COS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED FROM THE FQF173R. THIS PROC WAS SET UP IN OCT OF 1995 WHEN THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO GLIDER ACTIVITY DUE TO WINTER WX. NOW WITH SUMMER COMING ON THERE WILL BE MORE GLIDER ACTIVITY IN THIS AREA. AS A CTLR I JUST HOPE THAT THE PRIMARY TARGETS WILL ALWAYS SHOW UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH COS TRACON REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST CALLED COS TRACON AND SPOKE TO A PROCS SPECIALIST REGARDING THE INCIDENT. SPECIALIST WAS AWARE OF THE AREA AND RTE THAT OVERFLIES THE GLIDER PORT. THE SPECIALIST CLAIMS THAT THE RTE WAS DEVELOPED LAST OCTOBER (1995) BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS NOISE COMPLAINTS CAUSED BY THE TFC FLOWS INTO AND OUT OF THE NEW DEN ARPT. THE NOISE COMPLAINTS ESCALATED TO THE CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL AND FINALLY THE SOLUTION WAS ALLEGEDLY MANDATED BACK DOWN FROM THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WHO ADVISED ALL PARTIES THAT THE COMPLAINTS HAD TO BE ACTED UPON AND SOLVED QUICKLY. SEVERAL RTES, INCLUDING THIS ONE, WERE CHANGED AT THE DIRECTION OF DOT. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS WAS A VERY HIGH PROFILE PROB AND SOLUTION. THE SPECIALIST DOUBTS THAT ANY NEW CHANGES WILL BE CONSIDERED.
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.