Narrative:

Bos controllers have an 'ace in the hole' approach for us turboprop operators which I find to be pushing the envelope of our abilities in order to serve traffic volume. They will issue a clearance for the 'ILS runway 15R expect a visual transition to runway 4L.' this trick allows us to accept a visual to runway 4L but in essence we are circling to runway 4L at 1500 ft and 130 KTS which is not authority/authorized for the runway 15R approach and for good reason! A left downwind along the bos harbor, east of the metropolitan buildings is too high, too close, and too fast to perform a stabilized, safe approach to runway 4L, not to mention we may be asked to 'hold short runway 33R.' a copilot in the right seat requires a captain play-by-play to call a base and final because they can't see the runway. Any miscalculation by the first officer can easily result in being much too high requiring a ludicrous descent rate, and encroaching the runway 4R approach path is avoided by no less than a 30 degree bank angle. Many of these approachs result in a steep bank continuing all the way to the threshold. I don't know what jet operators use for a circling speed, but I feel we turboprops get this clearance because we have proven we can wrangle it. Can you please stop this nonsense? I understand I can refuse the clearance but only to be given penalty vectors to who knows where. I personally will brief the first officer if he has never done this approach, to allow me to take the controls so he can observe it once before attempting it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter has been encouraged to make stabilized approach wherever he lands. He objects to breaking off the approach to runway 15R, such as 2 mi out, and circling to land on runway 4L. This circling maneuver places the aircraft close to downtown bos, so a tight circling approach has to be made so as to fly over the water to comply with noise abatement. The reporter would like to not accept such a clearance, however, because the penalty for non compliance is usually vectors for greater separation, he is reluctant to request such a thing because of the delay that might result. The aircraft being flown was a BAE3200 jetstream.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC FLYING A BAE3200 FEELS THE APCH THEY ARE GIVEN TO LAND AT BOS, MA, HAS A SAFETY PROB. THE FLC MAKES AN ILS APCH TO RWY 15R ONLY TO BE GIVEN, AT 2 MI FROM THE RWY, A VISUAL TO LAND ON RWY 4L. THIS MANEUVER IS ALWAYS MADE CLOSE IN WITH WINGS STILL IN A BANK ANGLE AS IT CROSSES THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 4L.

Narrative: BOS CTLRS HAVE AN 'ACE IN THE HOLE' APCH FOR US TURBOPROP OPERATORS WHICH I FIND TO BE PUSHING THE ENVELOPE OF OUR ABILITIES IN ORDER TO SERVE TFC VOLUME. THEY WILL ISSUE A CLRNC FOR THE 'ILS RWY 15R EXPECT A VISUAL TRANSITION TO RWY 4L.' THIS TRICK ALLOWS US TO ACCEPT A VISUAL TO RWY 4L BUT IN ESSENCE WE ARE CIRCLING TO RWY 4L AT 1500 FT AND 130 KTS WHICH IS NOT AUTH FOR THE RWY 15R APCH AND FOR GOOD REASON! A L DOWNWIND ALONG THE BOS HARBOR, E OF THE METRO BUILDINGS IS TOO HIGH, TOO CLOSE, AND TOO FAST TO PERFORM A STABILIZED, SAFE APCH TO RWY 4L, NOT TO MENTION WE MAY BE ASKED TO 'HOLD SHORT RWY 33R.' A COPLT IN THE R SEAT REQUIRES A CAPT PLAY-BY-PLAY TO CALL A BASE AND FINAL BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SEE THE RWY. ANY MISCALCULATION BY THE FO CAN EASILY RESULT IN BEING MUCH TOO HIGH REQUIRING A LUDICROUS DSCNT RATE, AND ENCROACHING THE RWY 4R APCH PATH IS AVOIDED BY NO LESS THAN A 30 DEG BANK ANGLE. MANY OF THESE APCHS RESULT IN A STEEP BANK CONTINUING ALL THE WAY TO THE THRESHOLD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT JET OPERATORS USE FOR A CIRCLING SPD, BUT I FEEL WE TURBOPROPS GET THIS CLRNC BECAUSE WE HAVE PROVEN WE CAN WRANGLE IT. CAN YOU PLEASE STOP THIS NONSENSE? I UNDERSTAND I CAN REFUSE THE CLRNC BUT ONLY TO BE GIVEN PENALTY VECTORS TO WHO KNOWS WHERE. I PERSONALLY WILL BRIEF THE FO IF HE HAS NEVER DONE THIS APCH, TO ALLOW ME TO TAKE THE CTLS SO HE CAN OBSERVE IT ONCE BEFORE ATTEMPTING IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR HAS BEEN ENCOURAGED TO MAKE STABILIZED APCH WHEREVER HE LANDS. HE OBJECTS TO BREAKING OFF THE APCH TO RWY 15R, SUCH AS 2 MI OUT, AND CIRCLING TO LAND ON RWY 4L. THIS CIRCLING MANEUVER PLACES THE ACFT CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN BOS, SO A TIGHT CIRCLING APCH HAS TO BE MADE SO AS TO FLY OVER THE WATER TO COMPLY WITH NOISE ABATEMENT. THE RPTR WOULD LIKE TO NOT ACCEPT SUCH A CLRNC, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE PENALTY FOR NON COMPLIANCE IS USUALLY VECTORS FOR GREATER SEPARATION, HE IS RELUCTANT TO REQUEST SUCH A THING BECAUSE OF THE DELAY THAT MIGHT RESULT. THE ACFT BEING FLOWN WAS A BAE3200 JETSTREAM.

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.