Narrative:

The lax noise abatement procedures are causing arrival controllers to hold aircraft over heavily populated areas. These aircraft are being held because of a noise abatement curfew. Unless there is poor WX, no aircraft can land west between XA00 am and XF30 am. The XF30 am time is the problem. The arrival controller must decide who should be the last east, and who should be the first west arrival. If the controller chooses the correct aircraft, there will be minimal amount of aircraft held. If the decision is bad, then numerous aircraft will be held. Then there are days that the volume is so great that the center and surrounding sectors go into holding. This holding causes more noise and unneeded delays. This morning there were 6 aircraft held 10-20 mi east of lax for 5-10 mins. Altitudes ranged from 2500 ft to 8000 ft. The area where the holding took place (downey, ca) is heavily populated. Why should these people be subjected to noise to meet a curfew time? There is no 'flow' to la until after the 'turn around.' either the tmu should run a program, or we should have the flexibility to 'turn the airport' around earlier. Say XF00 am! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter believes the noise procedure is governed by the city and indicated unawareness to any effort to approach the city to change the ending time of the procedure. Reporter stated there is no tmu on during the traffic buildup period. Reporter alleged that some facility supervisors will change the traffic flow prior to the XF30 time while others will adhere to the procedure time. Reporter indicated that some tower supervisors will allow the east/west flow change and accept aircraft prior to XF30 while other supervisors will not.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR WANTS FLEXIBILITY TO ALTER NOISE ABATEMENT PROC ENDING TIME OF XF30 TO XF00 AM WHEN TFC BUILDUP REQUIRES ACFT TO HOLD WHILE WAITING FOR THE TFC TURN AROUND TO THE W FLOW. RPTR IMPLIES THIS WILL REDUCE OR ELIMINATE NOISE GENERATED FROM ACFT IN HOLDING E OF THE ARPT DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD.

Narrative: THE LAX NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS ARE CAUSING ARR CTLRS TO HOLD ACFT OVER HEAVILY POPULATED AREAS. THESE ACFT ARE BEING HELD BECAUSE OF A NOISE ABATEMENT CURFEW. UNLESS THERE IS POOR WX, NO ACFT CAN LAND W BTWN XA00 AM AND XF30 AM. THE XF30 AM TIME IS THE PROB. THE ARR CTLR MUST DECIDE WHO SHOULD BE THE LAST E, AND WHO SHOULD BE THE FIRST W ARR. IF THE CTLR CHOOSES THE CORRECT ACFT, THERE WILL BE MINIMAL AMOUNT OF ACFT HELD. IF THE DECISION IS BAD, THEN NUMEROUS ACFT WILL BE HELD. THEN THERE ARE DAYS THAT THE VOLUME IS SO GREAT THAT THE CTR AND SURROUNDING SECTORS GO INTO HOLDING. THIS HOLDING CAUSES MORE NOISE AND UNNEEDED DELAYS. THIS MORNING THERE WERE 6 ACFT HELD 10-20 MI E OF LAX FOR 5-10 MINS. ALTS RANGED FROM 2500 FT TO 8000 FT. THE AREA WHERE THE HOLDING TOOK PLACE (DOWNEY, CA) IS HEAVILY POPULATED. WHY SHOULD THESE PEOPLE BE SUBJECTED TO NOISE TO MEET A CURFEW TIME? THERE IS NO 'FLOW' TO LA UNTIL AFTER THE 'TURN AROUND.' EITHER THE TMU SHOULD RUN A PROGRAM, OR WE SHOULD HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO 'TURN THE ARPT' AROUND EARLIER. SAY XF00 AM! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR BELIEVES THE NOISE PROC IS GOVERNED BY THE CITY AND INDICATED UNAWARENESS TO ANY EFFORT TO APCH THE CITY TO CHANGE THE ENDING TIME OF THE PROC. RPTR STATED THERE IS NO TMU ON DURING THE TFC BUILDUP PERIOD. RPTR ALLEGED THAT SOME FACILITY SUPVRS WILL CHANGE THE TFC FLOW PRIOR TO THE XF30 TIME WHILE OTHERS WILL ADHERE TO THE PROC TIME. RPTR INDICATED THAT SOME TWR SUPVRS WILL ALLOW THE E/W FLOW CHANGE AND ACCEPT ACFT PRIOR TO XF30 WHILE OTHER SUPVRS WILL NOT.

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.