Narrative:

While arriving to pie on the north bay visual runway 17L after passing over the power plant: tower allowed two (VFR traffic pattern) light aircraft to proceed on their upwind leg in northbound circuit patterns on runway 35 to proceed at 900 ft AGL toward our arrival in the sbound visual arrival pattern to runway 17L. The tower turned us to 150 degree heading off the arrival course of 190 degrees to avoid the light aircraft. I believe the tower should never allow opposite direction traffic of any kind at pie, much less conflict light aircraft with opposite arriving air carrier aircraft. I telephoned the tower, and he said he believed the B727 could maneuver more successfully out of the way of the light aircraft, since he knew they were student pilots. Pie traffic is, at best, extremely hazardous with a preponderance of VFR light aircraft, and air carrier jets. This is not the first time I have had aircraft cross my final approach path at pie. This is a trend that continues to happen. I will never again accept VFR handling into pie, it is too dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS THE TWR ALLOWED 2 VFR LIGHT ACFT TO OPERATE ON THE NBOUND UPWIND LEG OPPOSITE DIRECTION TOWARDS RPTR'S B727 SBOUND APCH FOR LNDG. TWR TURNED THE B727 TO AVOID A LIGHT ACFT. TWR CTLR THOUGHT THE B727 COULD MANEUVER OUT OF THE WAY OF THE LIGHT ACFT SINCE HE KNEW THEY WERE STUDENT PLTS.

Narrative: WHILE ARRIVING TO PIE ON THE N BAY VISUAL RWY 17L AFTER PASSING OVER THE PWR PLANT: TWR ALLOWED TWO (VFR TFC PATTERN) LIGHT ACFT TO PROCEED ON THEIR UPWIND LEG IN NBOUND CIRCUIT PATTERNS ON RWY 35 TO PROCEED AT 900 FT AGL TOWARD OUR ARR IN THE SBOUND VISUAL ARR PATTERN TO RWY 17L. THE TWR TURNED US TO 150 DEG HDG OFF THE ARR COURSE OF 190 DEGS TO AVOID THE LIGHT ACFT. I BELIEVE THE TWR SHOULD NEVER ALLOW OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC OF ANY KIND AT PIE, MUCH LESS CONFLICT LIGHT ACFT WITH OPPOSITE ARRIVING ACR ACFT. I TELEPHONED THE TWR, AND HE SAID HE BELIEVED THE B727 COULD MANEUVER MORE SUCCESSFULLY OUT OF THE WAY OF THE LIGHT ACFT, SINCE HE KNEW THEY WERE STUDENT PLTS. PIE TFC IS, AT BEST, EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WITH A PREPONDERANCE OF VFR LIGHT ACFT, AND ACR JETS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD ACFT CROSS MY FINAL APCH PATH AT PIE. THIS IS A TREND THAT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. I WILL NEVER AGAIN ACCEPT VFR HANDLING INTO PIE, IT IS TOO DANGEROUS.

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.