Narrative:

I was in command and flying air carrier flight xyz on oct/xx/98. At 3000 ft MSL, crossing the shoreline outbound, new york approach cleared us for the shore visual approach and directed us to contact unicom 122.95 for advisories because hpn tower was closed for the night. Shortly after crossing shoreline inbound, I noticed a TCASII target 500 ft below us and 1/2 way to airport. I then visually acquired the aircraft turning base to final. I elected to abandon my straight- in approach and enter visual left traffic via the upwind leg. At no time was safety compromised. The see and avoid principle worked as advertised. It turned out that other aircraft was on CTAF 119.7 but not unicom. I am well aware of CTAF procedures, but at hpn, unicom very much expects to run the show. This expectation is reinforced by new york approach sending IFR traffic to their frequency. In order to hear everyone, it would be necessary to receive and transmit on 2 primary frequencys simultaneously -- a situation with grave potential for disaster in a 2 pilot jet. Suggest new york approach and hpn management come to a meeting of the minds regarding which single frequency will be worked in the no-tower hpn pattern. Prominently publish and live by that decision. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter restated that he did not see the other aircraft, an aztec, in the traffic pattern until the TCASII painted him. He never did hear the aztec on the unicom frequency that he had been instructed to make contact with hpn. While on the ground at hpn, he observed an airport vehicle drive up to the aztec and shout through the window at the pilot, that he was to be on unicom frequency and not CTAF frequency. Reporter has made many entries into hpn and said they are tenacious about doing things their way. That pilots should be getting all their traffic information from unicom. The aztec dropped off a passenger and then left. Reporter believes the aztec pilot was transient and unaware of the importance that hpn places on being in contact with unicom. Reporter has strong feelings about all aircraft should be on the same frequency when in the same traffic pattern. He feels it is a hazard not to be on the same frequency. He also stated that if a pilot unfamiliar with the area or airport when the tower is closed, that the logical frequency for the aircraft to be tuned to is the CTAF frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737-300 LNDG AT HPN USES UNICOM FOR TFC INFO AND ANOTHER ACFT USES CTAF. NEITHER ACFT IS COMMUNICATING WITH THE OTHER WHILE IN THE TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: I WAS IN COMMAND AND FLYING ACR FLT XYZ ON OCT/XX/98. AT 3000 FT MSL, XING THE SHORELINE OUTBOUND, NEW YORK APCH CLRED US FOR THE SHORE VISUAL APCH AND DIRECTED US TO CONTACT UNICOM 122.95 FOR ADVISORIES BECAUSE HPN TWR WAS CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER XING SHORELINE INBOUND, I NOTICED A TCASII TARGET 500 FT BELOW US AND 1/2 WAY TO ARPT. I THEN VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE ACFT TURNING BASE TO FINAL. I ELECTED TO ABANDON MY STRAIGHT- IN APCH AND ENTER VISUAL L TFC VIA THE UPWIND LEG. AT NO TIME WAS SAFETY COMPROMISED. THE SEE AND AVOID PRINCIPLE WORKED AS ADVERTISED. IT TURNED OUT THAT OTHER ACFT WAS ON CTAF 119.7 BUT NOT UNICOM. I AM WELL AWARE OF CTAF PROCS, BUT AT HPN, UNICOM VERY MUCH EXPECTS TO RUN THE SHOW. THIS EXPECTATION IS REINFORCED BY NEW YORK APCH SENDING IFR TFC TO THEIR FREQ. IN ORDER TO HEAR EVERYONE, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO RECEIVE AND XMIT ON 2 PRIMARY FREQS SIMULTANEOUSLY -- A SIT WITH GRAVE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER IN A 2 PLT JET. SUGGEST NEW YORK APCH AND HPN MGMNT COME TO A MEETING OF THE MINDS REGARDING WHICH SINGLE FREQ WILL BE WORKED IN THE NO-TWR HPN PATTERN. PROMINENTLY PUBLISH AND LIVE BY THAT DECISION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR RESTATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT, AN AZTEC, IN THE TFC PATTERN UNTIL THE TCASII PAINTED HIM. HE NEVER DID HEAR THE AZTEC ON THE UNICOM FREQ THAT HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH HPN. WHILE ON THE GND AT HPN, HE OBSERVED AN ARPT VEHICLE DRIVE UP TO THE AZTEC AND SHOUT THROUGH THE WINDOW AT THE PLT, THAT HE WAS TO BE ON UNICOM FREQ AND NOT CTAF FREQ. RPTR HAS MADE MANY ENTRIES INTO HPN AND SAID THEY ARE TENACIOUS ABOUT DOING THINGS THEIR WAY. THAT PLTS SHOULD BE GETTING ALL THEIR TFC INFO FROM UNICOM. THE AZTEC DROPPED OFF A PAX AND THEN LEFT. RPTR BELIEVES THE AZTEC PLT WAS TRANSIENT AND UNAWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE THAT HPN PLACES ON BEING IN CONTACT WITH UNICOM. RPTR HAS STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT ALL ACFT SHOULD BE ON THE SAME FREQ WHEN IN THE SAME TFC PATTERN. HE FEELS IT IS A HAZARD NOT TO BE ON THE SAME FREQ. HE ALSO STATED THAT IF A PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA OR ARPT WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED, THAT THE LOGICAL FREQ FOR THE ACFT TO BE TUNED TO IS THE CTAF FREQ.

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.