Narrative:

As a commuter airline captain I have serious concerns about the lahso program. I'm aware of very little official FAA guidance if a go around becomes necessary. What if an unforeseen mechanical problem lengthens the landing roll? An example is landing (lahso, runway 25R) on las vegas mccarran's runway 19L while operations are occurring on runways 19R, 25R, and 25L. Should something go wrong the potential for collision is very high. I see the lahso program as a xfer of liability to the flight crew in order to increase airport capacity. A pilot's only recourse is to refuse an unsafe lahso and risk being viewed as 'uncooperative' in the eyes of the FAA and our employers. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is an air carrier SF340B captain who flies into las frequently. He said that the tower often uses both of the parallel runway sets during the times that the WX permits. This invites possible conflicts in cases of a failure of an aircraft to hold short of the runway 19L and 25R intersection, he said. He feels that this particular type of conflict on runway 19L poses an increased danger because there is a long section of this runway in which there are no paved turnoffs as one approachs this intersection. This then would require the flight crew to turn onto an unpaved area with the resultant problems, the severity of which may depend on that aircraft's speed. This captain also spoke about what would happen if he had to go around and the cross traffic on runways 25 was taking off. The aircraft would have to see each other to insure separation and he feels that see and avoid has fundamental weaknesses. Also he is not sure that a cloud condition would not be a factor in these cases because he has flown some operations that included scattered to overcast cloud conditions that could be a factor in a go around. This reporter wanted to emphasize that he has not actually had a bad event, however, he sees the potential threat in this type of operation. He said that he has spoken to other pilots who, apparently, had not thought of these problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR SF34 CAPT SAYS THAT HE THINKS THAT THE USE OF LAND AND HOLD SHORT CLRNCS ON RWY 19L AT LAS SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED WHEN OPS ARE ALSO BEING CONDUCTED ON RWYS 19R, 25R, AND 25L. HE FEELS THAT THE LAYOUT OF THE ARPT CREATES PLACES WHERE THERE IS NO SAFE PLACE FOR AN ACFT ON RWY 19L TO GO IF A CONFLICT OCCURS.

Narrative: AS A COMMUTER AIRLINE CAPT I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE LAHSO PROGRAM. I'M AWARE OF VERY LITTLE OFFICIAL FAA GUIDANCE IF A GAR BECOMES NECESSARY. WHAT IF AN UNFORESEEN MECHANICAL PROB LENGTHENS THE LNDG ROLL? AN EXAMPLE IS LNDG (LAHSO, RWY 25R) ON LAS VEGAS MCCARRAN'S RWY 19L WHILE OPS ARE OCCURRING ON RWYS 19R, 25R, AND 25L. SHOULD SOMETHING GO WRONG THE POTENTIAL FOR COLLISION IS VERY HIGH. I SEE THE LAHSO PROGRAM AS A XFER OF LIABILITY TO THE FLC IN ORDER TO INCREASE ARPT CAPACITY. A PLT'S ONLY RECOURSE IS TO REFUSE AN UNSAFE LAHSO AND RISK BEING VIEWED AS 'UNCOOPERATIVE' IN THE EYES OF THE FAA AND OUR EMPLOYERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN ACR SF340B CAPT WHO FLIES INTO LAS FREQUENTLY. HE SAID THAT THE TWR OFTEN USES BOTH OF THE PARALLEL RWY SETS DURING THE TIMES THAT THE WX PERMITS. THIS INVITES POSSIBLE CONFLICTS IN CASES OF A FAILURE OF AN ACFT TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY 19L AND 25R INTXN, HE SAID. HE FEELS THAT THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF CONFLICT ON RWY 19L POSES AN INCREASED DANGER BECAUSE THERE IS A LONG SECTION OF THIS RWY IN WHICH THERE ARE NO PAVED TURNOFFS AS ONE APCHS THIS INTXN. THIS THEN WOULD REQUIRE THE FLC TO TURN ONTO AN UNPAVED AREA WITH THE RESULTANT PROBS, THE SEVERITY OF WHICH MAY DEPEND ON THAT ACFT'S SPD. THIS CAPT ALSO SPOKE ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF HE HAD TO GAR AND THE CROSS TFC ON RWYS 25 WAS TAKING OFF. THE ACFT WOULD HAVE TO SEE EACH OTHER TO INSURE SEPARATION AND HE FEELS THAT SEE AND AVOID HAS FUNDAMENTAL WEAKNESSES. ALSO HE IS NOT SURE THAT A CLOUD CONDITION WOULD NOT BE A FACTOR IN THESE CASES BECAUSE HE HAS FLOWN SOME OPS THAT INCLUDED SCATTERED TO OVCST CLOUD CONDITIONS THAT COULD BE A FACTOR IN A GAR. THIS RPTR WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT HE HAS NOT ACTUALLY HAD A BAD EVENT, HOWEVER, HE SEES THE POTENTIAL THREAT IN THIS TYPE OF OP. HE SAID THAT HE HAS SPOKEN TO OTHER PLTS WHO, APPARENTLY, HAD NOT THOUGHT OF THESE PROBS.

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.