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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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An E120 first officer reports frustration with the new dfw airspace and procedures. The reporter cites unnecessarily extended flight at low altitudes with numerous vectors away from the arrival (causing increased fuel consumption and unpredictable fuel planning problems), and dangerous mixing of controled aircraft with uncontrolled VFR traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 352411 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199611 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : byp |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 352411 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Asked by ZFW to descend and maintain 11000 ft (approximately 150 NM from dfw) and turn to 260 degrees. Due to this request we feel that we are jeopardizing safety to be at these speeds (250 KTS) and at this altitude, without being in a class B airspace. This altitude also increases fuel consumption to unacceptable levels. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this report was submitted because succumbing to this method of traffic control is becoming the rule for this reporter's company. On a 2-DAY trip, this reporter spends the majority of the return flts to dfw at high speeds, at low altitudes, off course, and mixed with uncontrolled VFR traffic. On this particular day, the reporter received 2 tcasi TA's (no visual acquisition on one that was inside 1000 ft and 2 NM), and was also asking for better routing. The ARTCC radar controller didn't want to talk to him. The expansion of dfw TRACON's airspace coincides with a heavier pilot workload as a result of flts consistently extending well into the fuel reserve, 'metering' clrncs, and increased tcasi alerts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN E120 FO RPTS FRUSTRATION WITH THE NEW DFW AIRSPACE AND PROCS. THE RPTR CITES UNNECESSARILY EXTENDED FLT AT LOW ALTS WITH NUMEROUS VECTORS AWAY FROM THE ARR (CAUSING INCREASED FUEL CONSUMPTION AND UNPREDICTABLE FUEL PLANNING PROBS), AND DANGEROUS MIXING OF CTLED ACFT WITH UNCTLED VFR TFC.
Narrative: ASKED BY ZFW TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT (APPROX 150 NM FROM DFW) AND TURN TO 260 DEGS. DUE TO THIS REQUEST WE FEEL THAT WE ARE JEOPARDIZING SAFETY TO BE AT THESE SPDS (250 KTS) AND AT THIS ALT, WITHOUT BEING IN A CLASS B AIRSPACE. THIS ALT ALSO INCREASES FUEL CONSUMPTION TO UNACCEPTABLE LEVELS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPT WAS SUBMITTED BECAUSE SUCCUMBING TO THIS METHOD OF TFC CTL IS BECOMING THE RULE FOR THIS RPTR'S COMPANY. ON A 2-DAY TRIP, THIS RPTR SPENDS THE MAJORITY OF THE RETURN FLTS TO DFW AT HIGH SPDS, AT LOW ALTS, OFF COURSE, AND MIXED WITH UNCTLED VFR TFC. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, THE RPTR RECEIVED 2 TCASI TA'S (NO VISUAL ACQUISITION ON ONE THAT WAS INSIDE 1000 FT AND 2 NM), AND WAS ALSO ASKING FOR BETTER ROUTING. THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR DIDN'T WANT TO TALK TO HIM. THE EXPANSION OF DFW TRACON'S AIRSPACE COINCIDES WITH A HEAVIER PLT WORKLOAD AS A RESULT OF FLTS CONSISTENTLY EXTENDING WELL INTO THE FUEL RESERVE, 'METERING' CLRNCS, AND INCREASED TCASI ALERTS.
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.