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Reporter claims a near miss with opposite direction traffic at the same altitude in narrow pass recently designated by las allegedly to keep VFR traffic out of the class B airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 397935 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : las airport : vgt |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : las |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 310/T310C |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 397935 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 300 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
The new, weeks old policy of not letting VFR traffic into the class B airspace is the cause of this problem! Aircraft departing and returning to vgt from the south and west are forced to go through a narrow pass under class B below 5000 ft. The floor of this pass is about 4200-4300 ft. No aircraft, especially high performance aircraft, should fly that close to the ground unless they are landing! In my case, I was working ATC when he called traffic 12 O'clock, same altitude, 2 mi and closing fast. Told me (not suggested) to make an immediate right turn to 220 degrees. I asked him if he is familiar with the terrain as there is a 5700 ft mountain to my right with a 4500 ft ridge line less than 200 ft away. He didn't answer the question, but told me the other aircraft was 1 mi, 12 O'clock, 4700 ft. I told him I will take my chances with the other aircraft as a right turn would be instant death. Subsequently, I saw the other aircraft and took evasive action. There was a second aircraft but passed him with a much wider margin. They (ATC) have manufactured a very serious safety problem here unnecessarily as traffic counts are actually down at las! You can't funnel aircraft into a limited area and expect VFR to function properly. If they don't stop this immediately, someone is going to get killed either colliding with another aircraft or the terrain. Especially someone from southern california, unfamiliar with the area at night. There are plenty of very good controllers around. It's a delight to work socal approach, orange county, van nuys, etc. We need them here now! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that, from what he has heard, it appears that las has resumed allowing flts in/through the class B, including coded rtes for aircraft operations to/from the grand canyon. Reporter indicated there had been several meetings about the class B flight restr to VFR aircraft. Reporter was flying a C310 when the near midair collision occurred.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR CLAIMS A NEAR MISS WITH OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT THE SAME ALT IN NARROW PASS RECENTLY DESIGNATED BY LAS ALLEGEDLY TO KEEP VFR TFC OUT OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.
Narrative: THE NEW, WKS OLD POLICY OF NOT LETTING VFR TFC INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE IS THE CAUSE OF THIS PROB! ACFT DEPARTING AND RETURNING TO VGT FROM THE S AND W ARE FORCED TO GO THROUGH A NARROW PASS UNDER CLASS B BELOW 5000 FT. THE FLOOR OF THIS PASS IS ABOUT 4200-4300 FT. NO ACFT, ESPECIALLY HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT, SHOULD FLY THAT CLOSE TO THE GND UNLESS THEY ARE LNDG! IN MY CASE, I WAS WORKING ATC WHEN HE CALLED TFC 12 O'CLOCK, SAME ALT, 2 MI AND CLOSING FAST. TOLD ME (NOT SUGGESTED) TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 220 DEGS. I ASKED HIM IF HE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE TERRAIN AS THERE IS A 5700 FT MOUNTAIN TO MY R WITH A 4500 FT RIDGE LINE LESS THAN 200 FT AWAY. HE DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION, BUT TOLD ME THE OTHER ACFT WAS 1 MI, 12 O'CLOCK, 4700 FT. I TOLD HIM I WILL TAKE MY CHANCES WITH THE OTHER ACFT AS A R TURN WOULD BE INSTANT DEATH. SUBSEQUENTLY, I SAW THE OTHER ACFT AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. THERE WAS A SECOND ACFT BUT PASSED HIM WITH A MUCH WIDER MARGIN. THEY (ATC) HAVE MANUFACTURED A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROB HERE UNNECESSARILY AS TFC COUNTS ARE ACTUALLY DOWN AT LAS! YOU CAN'T FUNNEL ACFT INTO A LIMITED AREA AND EXPECT VFR TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. IF THEY DON'T STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY, SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED EITHER COLLIDING WITH ANOTHER ACFT OR THE TERRAIN. ESPECIALLY SOMEONE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AT NIGHT. THERE ARE PLENTY OF VERY GOOD CTLRS AROUND. IT'S A DELIGHT TO WORK SOCAL APCH, ORANGE COUNTY, VAN NUYS, ETC. WE NEED THEM HERE NOW! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT, FROM WHAT HE HAS HEARD, IT APPEARS THAT LAS HAS RESUMED ALLOWING FLTS IN/THROUGH THE CLASS B, INCLUDING CODED RTES FOR ACFT OPS TO/FROM THE GRAND CANYON. RPTR INDICATED THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL MEETINGS ABOUT THE CLASS B FLT RESTR TO VFR ACFT. RPTR WAS FLYING A C310 WHEN THE NMAC OCCURRED.
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.