Narrative:

I was working local control south at phx. A C172 had been holding in 360 degree turns abeam the approach end for 5-7 mins waiting for a gap in between the jets on final large enough to land. There was an MD80 on visual approach 2 mi final. I instructed the cessna pilot that upon completion of this 360 degree turn to roll out on the base leg and to report the MD80 in sight, the cessna pilot acknowledged. At this time a photo mission cessna was being flashed (automated handoff) to me by approach control. Because there is no ARTS keyboard available at the position, I had to get the attention of the controller at the flight data position to slew out and take the handoff. I was given a written list of sights coordinated with the photo mission. I looked up to watch the MD80 cross the threshold and saw the cessna was heading for the runway at a sharp angle inside the threshold attempting to land in front of the MD80. I told the cessna to turn left heading 180 degrees and climb to 2000 ft. After repeating the instruction a second time, I saw the cessna begin to turn. The MD80 turned about 10 degrees right and then informed me he was going around. It is my understanding from numerous other controllers and staff members that this is by no means the first time this type of incident has occurred here. It is currently accepted practice at phx to ignore the national SOP of sequencing VFR aircraft to the primary airport in class B airspace. The smaller, slower VFR aircraft are sent by approach control to points about 5 mi north and south of the airport and switched to the tower. No additional space is provided on the final between acrs to give these VFR aircraft room to land, much less take any wake turbulence interval. My recommendations to prevent recurrence of this incident are to revisit the present policy on airport arrival sequencing and to add ARTS keyboard equipment appropriate for a local control position in a limited radar cabin attendant. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated this incident was handled as a pilot deviation. Reporter did state that the procedure to handle small aircraft via the north/south of the airport is covered in an LOA between the tower and approach control. Reporter reiterated that approach control will not sequence the smaller/slower aircraft on the final and that it is up to the tower to fit them in the arrival/landing sequence. Reporter alleges this might have to do at times when approach control has to provide wake turbulence separation between successive flts. Reporter indicated the small aircraft is given the landing clearance with the wake turbulence advisory and that the aircraft will turn a close in base leg and land beyond the touchdown point of the preceding jet to avoid the wake turbulence. Reporter stated that local pilots are familiar with the operations to know what to do when fitted in between arrs but indicated a concern for pilots who are not familiar with operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC RPTED WHEN C172 PLT TURNS INSIDE THE RWY THRESHOLD AND AHEAD OF ACR MD80 IT WAS TO FOLLOW FOR LNDG. RPTR SAID IT IS COMMON PRACTICE BY APCH CTL TO SEND SMALL ACFT TO A POINT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT AND SWITCHED TO THE LCL CTLR FREQ.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL S AT PHX. A C172 HAD BEEN HOLDING IN 360 DEG TURNS ABEAM THE APCH END FOR 5-7 MINS WAITING FOR A GAP IN BTWN THE JETS ON FINAL LARGE ENOUGH TO LAND. THERE WAS AN MD80 ON VISUAL APCH 2 MI FINAL. I INSTRUCTED THE CESSNA PLT THAT UPON COMPLETION OF THIS 360 DEG TURN TO ROLL OUT ON THE BASE LEG AND TO RPT THE MD80 IN SIGHT, THE CESSNA PLT ACKNOWLEDGED. AT THIS TIME A PHOTO MISSION CESSNA WAS BEING FLASHED (AUTOMATED HDOF) TO ME BY APCH CTL. BECAUSE THERE IS NO ARTS KEYBOARD AVAILABLE AT THE POS, I HAD TO GET THE ATTN OF THE CTLR AT THE FLT DATA POS TO SLEW OUT AND TAKE THE HDOF. I WAS GIVEN A WRITTEN LIST OF SIGHTS COORDINATED WITH THE PHOTO MISSION. I LOOKED UP TO WATCH THE MD80 CROSS THE THRESHOLD AND SAW THE CESSNA WAS HDG FOR THE RWY AT A SHARP ANGLE INSIDE THE THRESHOLD ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN FRONT OF THE MD80. I TOLD THE CESSNA TO TURN L HDG 180 DEGS AND CLB TO 2000 FT. AFTER REPEATING THE INSTRUCTION A SECOND TIME, I SAW THE CESSNA BEGIN TO TURN. THE MD80 TURNED ABOUT 10 DEGS R AND THEN INFORMED ME HE WAS GOING AROUND. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM NUMEROUS OTHER CTLRS AND STAFF MEMBERS THAT THIS IS BY NO MEANS THE FIRST TIME THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED HERE. IT IS CURRENTLY ACCEPTED PRACTICE AT PHX TO IGNORE THE NATIONAL SOP OF SEQUENCING VFR ACFT TO THE PRIMARY ARPT IN CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE SMALLER, SLOWER VFR ACFT ARE SENT BY APCH CTL TO POINTS ABOUT 5 MI N AND S OF THE ARPT AND SWITCHED TO THE TWR. NO ADDITIONAL SPACE IS PROVIDED ON THE FINAL BTWN ACRS TO GIVE THESE VFR ACFT ROOM TO LAND, MUCH LESS TAKE ANY WAKE TURB INTERVAL. MY RECOMMENDATIONS TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF THIS INCIDENT ARE TO REVISIT THE PRESENT POLICY ON ARPT ARR SEQUENCING AND TO ADD ARTS KEYBOARD EQUIP APPROPRIATE FOR A LCL CTL POS IN A LIMITED RADAR CAB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS INCIDENT WAS HANDLED AS A PLTDEV. RPTR DID STATE THAT THE PROC TO HANDLE SMALL ACFT VIA THE N/S OF THE ARPT IS COVERED IN AN LOA BTWN THE TWR AND APCH CTL. RPTR REITERATED THAT APCH CTL WILL NOT SEQUENCE THE SMALLER/SLOWER ACFT ON THE FINAL AND THAT IT IS UP TO THE TWR TO FIT THEM IN THE ARR/LNDG SEQUENCE. RPTR ALLEGES THIS MIGHT HAVE TO DO AT TIMES WHEN APCH CTL HAS TO PROVIDE WAKE TURB SEPARATION BTWN SUCCESSIVE FLTS. RPTR INDICATED THE SMALL ACFT IS GIVEN THE LNDG CLRNC WITH THE WAKE TURB ADVISORY AND THAT THE ACFT WILL TURN A CLOSE IN BASE LEG AND LAND BEYOND THE TOUCHDOWN POINT OF THE PRECEDING JET TO AVOID THE WAKE TURB. RPTR STATED THAT LCL PLTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE OPS TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN FITTED IN BTWN ARRS BUT INDICATED A CONCERN FOR PLTS WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OP.

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.