Narrative:

Aircraft conducting GPS approach to runway 17 at pensacola regional (pns). Did not establish communication with pns ATC tower until aircraft was on a 2 mile final. This is an ongoing problem that has been brought to the attention of FAA ATC management at pns. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter claims that management has been informed on numerous occasions. The navy flight safety office is addressing the problem the tower encounters with reporting on short final-that aircraft are held on the ground waiting for the navy flight crew to report on frequency, and that aircraft are given 360's on downwind or base leg because the flight crew's are not reporting as directed by approach control. The military spokesman's response is that they do report a 3 mile final due to a landing checklist-even though they may have been transferred by approach control 7 to 9 mile final. The navy has been advised many times that the flight crew's are not taking into account the VOR DME is located 1.5 miles off the departure end of the runway, and their 3 mile check is actually 1.5 mile final.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PNS LC CONCERNED WITH NAVY FLC LACK OF COM RESPONSE TO CHANGE TO TWR UNTIL A 2 MILE FINAL.

Narrative: ACFT CONDUCTING GPS APCH TO RWY 17 AT PENSACOLA REGIONAL (PNS). DID NOT ESTABLISH COM WITH PNS ATC TWR UNTIL ACFT WAS ON A 2 MILE FINAL. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROB THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF FAA ATC MGMNT AT PNS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CLAIMS THAT MGMNT HAS BEEN INFORMED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE NAVY FLT SAFETY OFFICE IS ADDRESSING THE PROB THE TWR ENCOUNTERS WITH RPTING ON SHORT FINAL-THAT ACFT ARE HELD ON THE GND WAITING FOR THE NAVY FLC TO RPT ON FREQ, AND THAT ACFT ARE GIVEN 360'S ON DOWNWIND OR BASE LEG BECAUSE THE FLIGHT CREW'S ARE NOT RPTING AS DIRECTED BY APCH CTL. THE MILITARY SPOKESMAN'S RESPONSE IS THAT THEY DO RPT A 3 MILE FINAL DUE TO A LNDG CHKLIST-EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED BY APCH CTL 7 TO 9 MILE FINAL. THE NAVY HAS BEEN ADVISED MANY TIMES THAT THE FLT CREW'S ARE NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE VOR DME IS LOCATED 1.5 MILES OFF THE DEP END OF THE RWY, AND THEIR 3 MILE CHK IS ACTUALLY 1.5 MILE FINAL.

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.