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Reporter claims harassment by approach and tower controllers for class B and class D handling. Reporter indicates the local controller put reporter in possible conflict with another aircraft on an opposite base leg pattern for the same runway.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 398119 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : las airport : vgt |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 9500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : las tower : vgt |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 310/T310C |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival other |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 398119 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 800 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Coming up from the south on las class B airspace, I was handed off by ZLA to las approach 127.15. I told las approach that I wanted to transition class B to vgt and had ATIS information. They told me that the best way to get to vgt was to start an immediate descent and go under and around class B. I said I had a very bad experience on a previous day (separate report) and did not want to do that. I told them I would rather fly across class B at 9500 ft and descend on the north side of class B. At that time they cleared me into class B and had me change to 118.4. He asked me where I was landing. I told him vgt with ATIS information. They then changed me to 125.9, 133.95, 119.4, every time asking where I was going to land! I can't believe that I had to use all 5 approach control frequencys for just the southwest sector. Even the last controller, when it had to be obvious by my position having passed las, asked me if I was landing las! When he did release me to vgt tower they were outraged that I hadn't called in outside of class D. I told them I was working las approach and they didn't release me until now. (I found out later that las approach did not call them as they usually do, and vgt's radar feed was out as well.) vgt tower was so upset about this that their attention was diverted to questioning me rather than controling aircraft. I finally said, 'do what you must, but I would like to land' as I was 2 mi from the airport. They cleared me to land on runway 7, 2 mi, right base. I rolled out on a 2 mi right base only to look straight at a large twin engine aircraft on a left base to runway 7. I informed the tower and they ranted again about me being in class D, but eventually cleared me to land on runway 30. I believe that the new policies at las TRACON contributed to this incident, and that vgt tower needs to be upgraded to higher level controllers.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR CLAIMS HARASSMENT BY APCH AND TWR CTLRS FOR CLASS B AND CLASS D HANDLING. RPTR INDICATES THE LCL CTLR PUT RPTR IN POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON AN OPPOSITE BASE LEG PATTERN FOR THE SAME RWY.
Narrative: COMING UP FROM THE S ON LAS CLASS B AIRSPACE, I WAS HANDED OFF BY ZLA TO LAS APCH 127.15. I TOLD LAS APCH THAT I WANTED TO TRANSITION CLASS B TO VGT AND HAD ATIS INFO. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE BEST WAY TO GET TO VGT WAS TO START AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND GO UNDER AND AROUND CLASS B. I SAID I HAD A VERY BAD EXPERIENCE ON A PREVIOUS DAY (SEPARATE RPT) AND DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT. I TOLD THEM I WOULD RATHER FLY ACROSS CLASS B AT 9500 FT AND DSND ON THE N SIDE OF CLASS B. AT THAT TIME THEY CLRED ME INTO CLASS B AND HAD ME CHANGE TO 118.4. HE ASKED ME WHERE I WAS LNDG. I TOLD HIM VGT WITH ATIS INFO. THEY THEN CHANGED ME TO 125.9, 133.95, 119.4, EVERY TIME ASKING WHERE I WAS GOING TO LAND! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I HAD TO USE ALL 5 APCH CTL FREQS FOR JUST THE SW SECTOR. EVEN THE LAST CTLR, WHEN IT HAD TO BE OBVIOUS BY MY POS HAVING PASSED LAS, ASKED ME IF I WAS LNDG LAS! WHEN HE DID RELEASE ME TO VGT TWR THEY WERE OUTRAGED THAT I HADN'T CALLED IN OUTSIDE OF CLASS D. I TOLD THEM I WAS WORKING LAS APCH AND THEY DIDN'T RELEASE ME UNTIL NOW. (I FOUND OUT LATER THAT LAS APCH DID NOT CALL THEM AS THEY USUALLY DO, AND VGT'S RADAR FEED WAS OUT AS WELL.) VGT TWR WAS SO UPSET ABOUT THIS THAT THEIR ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO QUESTIONING ME RATHER THAN CTLING ACFT. I FINALLY SAID, 'DO WHAT YOU MUST, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO LAND' AS I WAS 2 MI FROM THE ARPT. THEY CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 7, 2 MI, R BASE. I ROLLED OUT ON A 2 MI R BASE ONLY TO LOOK STRAIGHT AT A LARGE TWIN ENG ACFT ON A L BASE TO RWY 7. I INFORMED THE TWR AND THEY RANTED AGAIN ABOUT ME BEING IN CLASS D, BUT EVENTUALLY CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 30. I BELIEVE THAT THE NEW POLICIES AT LAS TRACON CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT, AND THAT VGT TWR NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED TO HIGHER LEVEL CTLRS.
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.