Narrative:

I was approaching the las class B airspace for landing at henderson airport (L15) from the east at 8500 ft. I contacted las approach for clearance through the class B. He said he had too much traffic for a clearance through the class B. Told me to stay below class B, but provided vectors toward henderson. The vectors took me toward the 90/60 sector southeast of henderson where the terrain elevation is 5400 ft. I told the controller I didn't want to go below 6000 ft over these mountains in the dark with only 600 ft terrain clearance. The controller eventually instructed me to maintain 6100 ft, gave me vectors to the airport that took me over the mountainous terrain. It was not comfortable to be over the unlighted mountains at night with such a small vertical clearance. Either the class B needs to be reconfigured to allow greater terrain clearance in this area or the controllers need to be taught of the safety concern of pilots operating so low at night over unlighted mountains, so that they will issue class B clrncs in this area more readily. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot was flying a C182. He was attempting to remain clear of mountainous terrain which was not visible due to darkness. There were no lights in the ground. The pilot said that las TRACON has a reputation in the GA community of refusing class B clearance. He further stated that the controllers should be more understanding of the situation when class B clearance is refused. He thought that all controllers should take a night flight in the las area after class B had been refused. He thinks that in areas of mountainous terrain the controllers should be required to accept aircraft entry into the TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT REQUESTED CLRNC TO ENTER CLASS B AT LAS. CTLR DENIED CLRNC AND TOLD PLT TO STAY BELOW CLASS B. THIS PUT THE PLT ONLY 600 FT ABOVE THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS. THIS WAS AT NIGHT AND TERRAIN WAS NOT VISIBLE.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING THE LAS CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR LNDG AT HENDERSON ARPT (L15) FROM THE E AT 8500 FT. I CONTACTED LAS APCH FOR CLRNC THROUGH THE CLASS B. HE SAID HE HAD TOO MUCH TFC FOR A CLRNC THROUGH THE CLASS B. TOLD ME TO STAY BELOW CLASS B, BUT PROVIDED VECTORS TOWARD HENDERSON. THE VECTORS TOOK ME TOWARD THE 90/60 SECTOR SE OF HENDERSON WHERE THE TERRAIN ELEVATION IS 5400 FT. I TOLD THE CTLR I DIDN'T WANT TO GO BELOW 6000 FT OVER THESE MOUNTAINS IN THE DARK WITH ONLY 600 FT TERRAIN CLRNC. THE CTLR EVENTUALLY INSTRUCTED ME TO MAINTAIN 6100 FT, GAVE ME VECTORS TO THE ARPT THAT TOOK ME OVER THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. IT WAS NOT COMFORTABLE TO BE OVER THE UNLIGHTED MOUNTAINS AT NIGHT WITH SUCH A SMALL VERT CLRNC. EITHER THE CLASS B NEEDS TO BE RECONFIGURED TO ALLOW GREATER TERRAIN CLRNC IN THIS AREA OR THE CTLRS NEED TO BE TAUGHT OF THE SAFETY CONCERN OF PLTS OPERATING SO LOW AT NIGHT OVER UNLIGHTED MOUNTAINS, SO THAT THEY WILL ISSUE CLASS B CLRNCS IN THIS AREA MORE READILY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT WAS FLYING A C182. HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO REMAIN CLR OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHICH WAS NOT VISIBLE DUE TO DARKNESS. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS IN THE GND. THE PLT SAID THAT LAS TRACON HAS A REPUTATION IN THE GA COMMUNITY OF REFUSING CLASS B CLRNC. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE CTLRS SHOULD BE MORE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SIT WHEN CLASS B CLRNC IS REFUSED. HE THOUGHT THAT ALL CTLRS SHOULD TAKE A NIGHT FLT IN THE LAS AREA AFTER CLASS B HAD BEEN REFUSED. HE THINKS THAT IN AREAS OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN THE CTLRS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ACCEPT ACFT ENTRY INTO THE TCA.

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.