Narrative:

At approximately the FAF to the ILS runway 22L at mhr, local controller cleared us for the option. We acknowledged our clearance. At the FAF, we were IMC, but broke out moments later. We had the airport in sight at about 4 mi. I told my client to put his foggles on. Just before the decision ht (200 ft AGL), the tower cleared a different plane onto the runway right in front of us. It was a shorts turboprop commuter. She acknowledged her clearance and began to taxi into position for takeoff. I told my client to go missed. I told the tower 'bonanza short final runway 22L, I have the shorts in sight and am executing the missed approach.' the tower, forgetting my missed approach clearance, said 'ok bonanza, start your left turn.' sac approach had already cleared me for a right turn on the missed approach before we went over to the tower. I said 'actually approach told us to make a right turn.' my client was in the right turn. Tower said 'oh, right, contact departure.' just before I turned off to departure's frequency, I heard the pilot of the shorts say 'which way is the bonanza turning?' the tower told her 'they're northbound,' and I switched to departure. This tower was the primary airport of a class C area 8 yrs ago when it was mather AFB. Since the base was closed, it has become a busy reliever for sac. They no longer have a radar in the tower. The local controller lost situational awareness leading to a near midair collision. It is a new contract tower, recently becoming class D after having been uncontrolled for 7 yrs. Mather tower's procedures are enormously hazardous. Hence, in sac we are used to flying to class C. Class C service almost always protects us from these types of near misses and wake turbulence encounters. However, mather tower now only provides 'runway separation.' it's a lower level of service than pilots around here are used to. Nearby sac executive tower has a BRITE scope and even though they are 'only' class D, they provide separation service much closer to class C standards. Pilots need to remember: when on an IFR flight, you must still see and avoid outside IMC. Mhr really needs its radar back and the new contract controllers may need some additional training. I triple checked my landing lights were on!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MHR CTLR CLRS SH36 FOR TKOF WITH A BE36 ON ILS SHORT FINAL WITH IFR CONDITIONS CAUSING NMAC.

Narrative: AT APPROX THE FAF TO THE ILS RWY 22L AT MHR, LCL CTLR CLRED US FOR THE OPTION. WE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CLRNC. AT THE FAF, WE WERE IMC, BUT BROKE OUT MOMENTS LATER. WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 4 MI. I TOLD MY CLIENT TO PUT HIS FOGGLES ON. JUST BEFORE THE DECISION HT (200 FT AGL), THE TWR CLRED A DIFFERENT PLANE ONTO THE RWY RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IT WAS A SHORTS TURBOPROP COMMUTER. SHE ACKNOWLEDGED HER CLRNC AND BEGAN TO TAXI INTO POS FOR TKOF. I TOLD MY CLIENT TO GO MISSED. I TOLD THE TWR 'BONANZA SHORT FINAL RWY 22L, I HAVE THE SHORTS IN SIGHT AND AM EXECUTING THE MISSED APCH.' THE TWR, FORGETTING MY MISSED APCH CLRNC, SAID 'OK BONANZA, START YOUR L TURN.' SAC APCH HAD ALREADY CLRED ME FOR A R TURN ON THE MISSED APCH BEFORE WE WENT OVER TO THE TWR. I SAID 'ACTUALLY APCH TOLD US TO MAKE A R TURN.' MY CLIENT WAS IN THE R TURN. TWR SAID 'OH, RIGHT, CONTACT DEP.' JUST BEFORE I TURNED OFF TO DEP'S FREQ, I HEARD THE PLT OF THE SHORTS SAY 'WHICH WAY IS THE BONANZA TURNING?' THE TWR TOLD HER 'THEY'RE NBOUND,' AND I SWITCHED TO DEP. THIS TWR WAS THE PRIMARY ARPT OF A CLASS C AREA 8 YRS AGO WHEN IT WAS MATHER AFB. SINCE THE BASE WAS CLOSED, IT HAS BECOME A BUSY RELIEVER FOR SAC. THEY NO LONGER HAVE A RADAR IN THE TWR. THE LCL CTLR LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS LEADING TO A NMAC. IT IS A NEW CONTRACT TWR, RECENTLY BECOMING CLASS D AFTER HAVING BEEN UNCTLED FOR 7 YRS. MATHER TWR'S PROCS ARE ENORMOUSLY HAZARDOUS. HENCE, IN SAC WE ARE USED TO FLYING TO CLASS C. CLASS C SVC ALMOST ALWAYS PROTECTS US FROM THESE TYPES OF NEAR MISSES AND WAKE TURB ENCOUNTERS. HOWEVER, MATHER TWR NOW ONLY PROVIDES 'RWY SEPARATION.' IT'S A LOWER LEVEL OF SVC THAN PLTS AROUND HERE ARE USED TO. NEARBY SAC EXECUTIVE TWR HAS A BRITE SCOPE AND EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE 'ONLY' CLASS D, THEY PROVIDE SEPARATION SVC MUCH CLOSER TO CLASS C STANDARDS. PLTS NEED TO REMEMBER: WHEN ON AN IFR FLT, YOU MUST STILL SEE AND AVOID OUTSIDE IMC. MHR REALLY NEEDS ITS RADAR BACK AND THE NEW CONTRACT CTLRS MAY NEED SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING. I TRIPLE CHKED MY LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON!

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.