Narrative:

Contacted kalaeloa tower abeam the kahe power plant with a request to conduct pratice lndgs. There were two helicopters and one fixed wing aircraft using the runways at the time and the tower frequency was congested. I was advised to enter a direct base leg to runway 4. This ground track would have taken me over the tesoro refinery. At the latest FSDO safety meeting both the FAA safety staff and refinery officials advised that flying over the refinery was extremely dangerous and should not be done under any circumstances. Reasons cited included refinery worker safety in case of an aircraft crash and aircrew safety because one of the vents can discharge a 400 ft long vertical flame. I, therefore, decided to stay north of the class D airspace, wait for the frequency to become less congested and request a different pattern entry. When the tower was contacted, they advised that I should not have deviated from their instructions. I was directed to enter a left downwind to runway 4L with an admonition to not 'invent my own entries.' upon landing back at honolulu, I called the FSS and honolulu tower. They both confirmed that the refinery is a 'no-fly zone.' I called the kalaeloa tower and discussed the situation with the controller who had worked my aircraft. He advised that I should have followed his direction and not have gone north of the airspace. When asked about the fact that the ground track would have been over the refinery, he said I should have flown around the refinery on the ocean side (a circular base leg) and he may have then cleared me to land on runway 4R. The kalaeloa transition published sep/xa/99 should be amended to include provisions for aircraft arriving from the west. The transition should not require overflt of the refinery. Kalaeloa tower personnel should not give aircraft instructions to directly enter a base leg to runway 4. If flown in accordance with the aim, it is not possible to fly this ground track without overflying the refinery. The policy of directing pattern entry to multiple runways should be reviewed. The descriptions of the kalaeloa class D airspace, particularly the floor and ceiling in area a should be clarified.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28-61 INSTRUCTOR PLT WAS DIRECTED TO ENTER THE PATTERN AT JRF ON THE BASE LEG FOR RWY 4, WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE PLT TO OVERFLY A REFINERY, THE VENTS FROM WHICH INTERMITTENTLY DISCHARGE A 400 FT LONG VERTICAL FLAME. THE PLT DECLINED THE ENTRY AND WAS CHASTISED BY THE TWR.

Narrative: CONTACTED KALAELOA TWR ABEAM THE KAHE PWR PLANT WITH A REQUEST TO CONDUCT PRATICE LNDGS. THERE WERE TWO HELICOPTERS AND ONE FIXED WING ACFT USING THE RWYS AT THE TIME AND THE TWR FREQ WAS CONGESTED. I WAS ADVISED TO ENTER A DIRECT BASE LEG TO RWY 4. THIS GND TRACK WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME OVER THE TESORO REFINERY. AT THE LATEST FSDO SAFETY MEETING BOTH THE FAA SAFETY STAFF AND REFINERY OFFICIALS ADVISED THAT FLYING OVER THE REFINERY WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE DONE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. REASONS CITED INCLUDED REFINERY WORKER SAFETY IN CASE OF AN ACFT CRASH AND AIRCREW SAFETY BECAUSE ONE OF THE VENTS CAN DISCHARGE A 400 FT LONG VERTICAL FLAME. I, THEREFORE, DECIDED TO STAY N OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE, WAIT FOR THE FREQ TO BECOME LESS CONGESTED AND REQUEST A DIFFERENT PATTERN ENTRY. WHEN THE TWR WAS CONTACTED, THEY ADVISED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE DEVIATED FROM THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS DIRECTED TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 4L WITH AN ADMONITION TO NOT 'INVENT MY OWN ENTRIES.' UPON LNDG BACK AT HONOLULU, I CALLED THE FSS AND HONOLULU TWR. THEY BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE REFINERY IS A 'NO-FLY ZONE.' I CALLED THE KALAELOA TWR AND DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THE CTLR WHO HAD WORKED MY ACFT. HE ADVISED THAT I SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED HIS DIRECTION AND NOT HAVE GONE N OF THE AIRSPACE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE GND TRACK WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER THE REFINERY, HE SAID I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN AROUND THE REFINERY ON THE OCEAN SIDE (A CIRCULAR BASE LEG) AND HE MAY HAVE THEN CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 4R. THE KALAELOA TRANSITION PUBLISHED SEP/XA/99 SHOULD BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE PROVISIONS FOR ACFT ARRIVING FROM THE W. THE TRANSITION SHOULD NOT REQUIRE OVERFLT OF THE REFINERY. KALAELOA TWR PERSONNEL SHOULD NOT GIVE ACFT INSTRUCTIONS TO DIRECTLY ENTER A BASE LEG TO RWY 4. IF FLOWN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIM, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO FLY THIS GND TRACK WITHOUT OVERFLYING THE REFINERY. THE POLICY OF DIRECTING PATTERN ENTRY TO MULTIPLE RWYS SHOULD BE REVIEWED. THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE KALAELOA CLASS D AIRSPACE, PARTICULARLY THE FLOOR AND CEILING IN AREA A SHOULD BE CLARIFIED.

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.