Narrative:

Teb ATIS advised us to expect the VOR DME-a approach, landing runway 19 and departing runway 24. A radio tower is close to a normal right base leg for runway 19. It must be just outside the category a circling protected area and just inside the category B protected area, ie, over 1.3 mi but less than 1.5 mi from the end of runway 19. We are familiar with teb and have done the VOR DME-a approach on many occasions, including cases with similar winds. The tower has us fly over the field and enter left traffic for runway 19. When we briefed the approach, we noted the presence of various radio towers in the vicinity which affect the circling areas, notably the tower mentioned above and a shorter tower close to the final for runway 1. We noted that circling to the northwest of the field is prohibited for all, but category a aircraft, which we are. We were, nevertheless, not expecting to circle in that quadrant as we had never done that before. We were vectored for the VOR DME-a approach. At 3 NM outside the FAF (clifo), we were advised that there was a new ATIS, cleared for the approach and switched to teb tower. We quickly got the ATIS -- the wind had shifted to 340 degrees. We called the tower, reported our position, and asked which runway we were going to, anticipating a possible change to runway 1 or perhaps runway 24. The tower asked us to call the field in sight. Over clifo, we saw the field, put the gear down, completed our FAF checklist, and initiated a descent. We called the tower to report the field in sight. The tower cleared us for a visual approach to runway 19 with a right base entry, issued a new wind, 290 degrees at 8 KTS, and cleared us to land. We acknowledged the visual approach and landing clrncs. 2 mi inside clifo and descending out of approximately 1400 ft, we turned to the northeast to set up for the right base entry. As I rolled out of this left turn, I saw a radio tower directly ahead of us, at a lower altitude, probably less than 1 mi away. I immediately turned further left and went around the tower, entering the right base to about a 2 mi final. We landed normally. I believe that if I had not turned away from the radio tower, we would have come very close to hitting it. The top of the tower is 694 ft MSL, which is close to the altitude that I would have needed at this point in the pattern, especially in view of the tailwind on base. I do not think that either the controllers or I actually violated a regulation or did anything unsafe. I accepted the responsibility for obstruction clearance, kept my eyes outside and flew the airplane as required. It was, nevertheless, disconcerting because I was no longer mentally prepared for the presence of this obstruction at this point in the flight. I think there are several lessons to be learned. For myself: the problem was that in the rapid switch from an instrument approach clearance to a visual approach clearance (which we had not briefed), there was not enough time to go over again where the obstructions might be. Therefore, in the future, I will try to brief all possible entries and circling procedures (not only the ones for the runways and pattern entries that I expect or have done in the past). For the teb controllers: 1) if visual approachs are being conducted at the same time as instrument approachs, please say so on the ATIS. That would be a hint to brief them both. 2) try to avoid changing an instrument approach clearance that has already been issued to a visual approach clearance. 3) recognize that the northwest winds aloft are a tailwind on the VOR DME-a final and on the right base for runway 19. This affects the turning radii as aircraft leave the final approach course and enter the pattern and the altitude that they need to be at when entering a base leg with a normal glide path. 4) give the pilot, who may not be aware of all the obstructions near teb, a heads up by saying something such as 'plan to turn a 2.5 mi final.' that will be a hint not to descend too early or to fly a base leg too close to the runway. 5) why not use the ILS runway 19? Callback conversation with teb tower revealed the following information: they are aware of this tower (cbs). It has been reported to FSDO many times. Those that fly into teb on a regular basis know what to do. Controllers advise pilot of tower and toremain clear. Turning north with a right base only for single engine aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20P PLT ALMOST RAN INTO A RADIO TWR THAT IS 694 FT HIGH LOCATED APPROX 1 PT 9 MI FROM THE END OF RWY 19 AT TEB.

Narrative: TEB ATIS ADVISED US TO EXPECT THE VOR DME-A APCH, LNDG RWY 19 AND DEPARTING RWY 24. A RADIO TWR IS CLOSE TO A NORMAL R BASE LEG FOR RWY 19. IT MUST BE JUST OUTSIDE THE CATEGORY A CIRCLING PROTECTED AREA AND JUST INSIDE THE CATEGORY B PROTECTED AREA, IE, OVER 1.3 MI BUT LESS THAN 1.5 MI FROM THE END OF RWY 19. WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH TEB AND HAVE DONE THE VOR DME-A APCH ON MANY OCCASIONS, INCLUDING CASES WITH SIMILAR WINDS. THE TWR HAS US FLY OVER THE FIELD AND ENTER L TFC FOR RWY 19. WHEN WE BRIEFED THE APCH, WE NOTED THE PRESENCE OF VARIOUS RADIO TWRS IN THE VICINITY WHICH AFFECT THE CIRCLING AREAS, NOTABLY THE TWR MENTIONED ABOVE AND A SHORTER TWR CLOSE TO THE FINAL FOR RWY 1. WE NOTED THAT CIRCLING TO THE NW OF THE FIELD IS PROHIBITED FOR ALL, BUT CATEGORY A ACFT, WHICH WE ARE. WE WERE, NEVERTHELESS, NOT EXPECTING TO CIRCLE IN THAT QUADRANT AS WE HAD NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE. WE WERE VECTORED FOR THE VOR DME-A APCH. AT 3 NM OUTSIDE THE FAF (CLIFO), WE WERE ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A NEW ATIS, CLRED FOR THE APCH AND SWITCHED TO TEB TWR. WE QUICKLY GOT THE ATIS -- THE WIND HAD SHIFTED TO 340 DEGS. WE CALLED THE TWR, RPTED OUR POS, AND ASKED WHICH RWY WE WERE GOING TO, ANTICIPATING A POSSIBLE CHANGE TO RWY 1 OR PERHAPS RWY 24. THE TWR ASKED US TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT. OVER CLIFO, WE SAW THE FIELD, PUT THE GEAR DOWN, COMPLETED OUR FAF CHKLIST, AND INITIATED A DSCNT. WE CALLED THE TWR TO RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT. THE TWR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19 WITH A R BASE ENTRY, ISSUED A NEW WIND, 290 DEGS AT 8 KTS, AND CLRED US TO LAND. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE VISUAL APCH AND LNDG CLRNCS. 2 MI INSIDE CLIFO AND DSNDING OUT OF APPROX 1400 FT, WE TURNED TO THE NE TO SET UP FOR THE R BASE ENTRY. AS I ROLLED OUT OF THIS L TURN, I SAW A RADIO TWR DIRECTLY AHEAD OF US, AT A LOWER ALT, PROBABLY LESS THAN 1 MI AWAY. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED FURTHER L AND WENT AROUND THE TWR, ENTERING THE R BASE TO ABOUT A 2 MI FINAL. WE LANDED NORMALLY. I BELIEVE THAT IF I HAD NOT TURNED AWAY FROM THE RADIO TWR, WE WOULD HAVE COME VERY CLOSE TO HITTING IT. THE TOP OF THE TWR IS 694 FT MSL, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE ALT THAT I WOULD HAVE NEEDED AT THIS POINT IN THE PATTERN, ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THE TAILWIND ON BASE. I DO NOT THINK THAT EITHER THE CTLRS OR I ACTUALLY VIOLATED A REG OR DID ANYTHING UNSAFE. I ACCEPTED THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OBSTRUCTION CLRNC, KEPT MY EYES OUTSIDE AND FLEW THE AIRPLANE AS REQUIRED. IT WAS, NEVERTHELESS, DISCONCERTING BECAUSE I WAS NO LONGER MENTALLY PREPARED FOR THE PRESENCE OF THIS OBSTRUCTION AT THIS POINT IN THE FLT. I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL LESSONS TO BE LEARNED. FOR MYSELF: THE PROB WAS THAT IN THE RAPID SWITCH FROM AN INST APCH CLRNC TO A VISUAL APCH CLRNC (WHICH WE HAD NOT BRIEFED), THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO GO OVER AGAIN WHERE THE OBSTRUCTIONS MIGHT BE. THEREFORE, IN THE FUTURE, I WILL TRY TO BRIEF ALL POSSIBLE ENTRIES AND CIRCLING PROCS (NOT ONLY THE ONES FOR THE RWYS AND PATTERN ENTRIES THAT I EXPECT OR HAVE DONE IN THE PAST). FOR THE TEB CTLRS: 1) IF VISUAL APCHS ARE BEING CONDUCTED AT THE SAME TIME AS INST APCHS, PLEASE SAY SO ON THE ATIS. THAT WOULD BE A HINT TO BRIEF THEM BOTH. 2) TRY TO AVOID CHANGING AN INST APCH CLRNC THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED TO A VISUAL APCH CLRNC. 3) RECOGNIZE THAT THE NW WINDS ALOFT ARE A TAILWIND ON THE VOR DME-A FINAL AND ON THE R BASE FOR RWY 19. THIS AFFECTS THE TURNING RADII AS ACFT LEAVE THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND ENTER THE PATTERN AND THE ALT THAT THEY NEED TO BE AT WHEN ENTERING A BASE LEG WITH A NORMAL GLIDE PATH. 4) GIVE THE PLT, WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE OF ALL THE OBSTRUCTIONS NEAR TEB, A HEADS UP BY SAYING SOMETHING SUCH AS 'PLAN TO TURN A 2.5 MI FINAL.' THAT WILL BE A HINT NOT TO DSND TOO EARLY OR TO FLY A BASE LEG TOO CLOSE TO THE RWY. 5) WHY NOT USE THE ILS RWY 19? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH TEB TWR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS TWR (CBS). IT HAS BEEN RPTED TO FSDO MANY TIMES. THOSE THAT FLY INTO TEB ON A REGULAR BASIS KNOW WHAT TO DO. CTLRS ADVISE PLT OF TWR AND TOREMAIN CLR. TURNING N WITH A R BASE ONLY FOR SINGLE ENG ACFT.

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.