Narrative:

At mhr airport there is no operating ATC tower. Yet sacramento county has decided to local a large contingent of air cargo companies which use B727's, B757's, and DC8's. While sacramento TRACON provides arrival, departure control and clearance delivery service, we do not control the airport movement areas -- neither on the ground nor in the air near the airport, ie, downwind. Many VFR aircraft fly in and around mhr. Pilots coordinate their own movements using CTAF. The situation was air carrier X, a B727, was released for departure runway 22L. As air carrier X called airborne, a VFR target on the east side downwind moved wbound into air carrier X departure path. We issued a traffic alert. The pilot of air carrier X stated he missed the other aircraft by 50 ft and wanted to know if we were working it. We were not. But this means the intruder was also not on CTAF. Without a control tower, aircraft are using the airspace around mhr at will. TRACON cannot determine the actual intent of these targets. We provide IFR separation to departures and arrs but cannot protect our IFR's from the uncontrolled aircraft. A tower is needed to sequence these VFR aircraft around the IFR's. Until then, the cargo and bizjets should be relocated to smf airport.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR AT MCC BELIEVES A CTL TWR IS NEEDED AT MHR BECAUSE OF A NUMBER OF LARGE CARGO ACFT OPERATING AT THE ARPT.

Narrative: AT MHR ARPT THERE IS NO OPERATING ATC TWR. YET SACRAMENTO COUNTY HAS DECIDED TO LOCAL A LARGE CONTINGENT OF AIR CARGO COMPANIES WHICH USE B727'S, B757'S, AND DC8'S. WHILE SACRAMENTO TRACON PROVIDES ARR, DEP CTL AND CLRNC DELIVERY SVC, WE DO NOT CTL THE ARPT MOVEMENT AREAS -- NEITHER ON THE GND NOR IN THE AIR NEAR THE ARPT, IE, DOWNWIND. MANY VFR ACFT FLY IN AND AROUND MHR. PLTS COORDINATE THEIR OWN MOVEMENTS USING CTAF. THE SIT WAS ACR X, A B727, WAS RELEASED FOR DEP RWY 22L. AS ACR X CALLED AIRBORNE, A VFR TARGET ON THE E SIDE DOWNWIND MOVED WBOUND INTO ACR X DEP PATH. WE ISSUED A TFC ALERT. THE PLT OF ACR X STATED HE MISSED THE OTHER ACFT BY 50 FT AND WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE WORKING IT. WE WERE NOT. BUT THIS MEANS THE INTRUDER WAS ALSO NOT ON CTAF. WITHOUT A CTL TWR, ACFT ARE USING THE AIRSPACE AROUND MHR AT WILL. TRACON CANNOT DETERMINE THE ACTUAL INTENT OF THESE TARGETS. WE PROVIDE IFR SEPARATION TO DEPS AND ARRS BUT CANNOT PROTECT OUR IFR'S FROM THE UNCTLED ACFT. A TWR IS NEEDED TO SEQUENCE THESE VFR ACFT AROUND THE IFR'S. UNTIL THEN, THE CARGO AND BIZJETS SHOULD BE RELOCATED TO SMF ARPT.

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.