Narrative:

On jun/wed/03, an aircraft flying an instrument approach to runway 7L at navy pensacola airport asked the approach controller for information on the 'new tower' located on the final approach course 5 mi southwest of navy pensacola airport. The controller had no information on any obstructions in the area. After further investigation, it was determined that there were 3 cranes, the tallest measuring 380 ft MSL operating in that area. Since the controllers are obligated to provide 1000 ft separation between aircraft and obstructions, the minimum vectoring altitude was immediately pen-and-ink changed to raise the MVA from 1200 ft to 1400 ft in the area in which the cranes are operating. This was done without negotiations with or notification of the air traffic controllers review unit. Such notifications and negotiations are required to preclude the imposition of unsafe new procedures. FAA management in this area has lost control of the approval process required for the construction of antenna or placement of tall construction cranes that have potentially dangerous implications for local aviation. In december 2002, an antenna was being constructed 12 mi northwest of the pensacola regional airport. The air traffic controllers at pensacola TRACON were not aware that the antenna was being constructed until the project was almost complete, and only 3 days prior to the FAA taking action to raise the minimum vectoring altitude in that area. When questioned, pensacola TRACON air traffic manager stated that since an agreement had been signed between the FAA southern region and the pensacola TRACON unit that stated that the FAA would no longer surprise the controllers with unknown obstacles in the P-31 airspace, that in the instance of the new antenna the FAA's reporting process was not applicable to the newest event. When questioned this time about the present crane incident, P31 air traffic manager and procedures specialist replied that, as in the december antenna incident, the controllers at pensacola TRACON were not informed about obstructions in the airspace because the FAA southern region's procedure office had not notified them. This has been their excuse each time they have failed to notify the controllers about obstructions or approach chart changes in a timely fashion, and this has been many times. Since no management personnel, at the local, regional, or headquarters level seem to be interested in correcting this serious hazard to aviation, perhaps NASA, rather than the FAA, can intervene to identify and fix the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P31 CTLR IS CONCERNED WITH CRANES OPERATING CLOSE TO THE ARPT.

Narrative: ON JUN/WED/03, AN ACFT FLYING AN INST APCH TO RWY 7L AT NAVY PENSACOLA ARPT ASKED THE APCH CTLR FOR INFO ON THE 'NEW TWR' LOCATED ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE 5 MI SW OF NAVY PENSACOLA ARPT. THE CTLR HAD NO INFO ON ANY OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE AREA. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE 3 CRANES, THE TALLEST MEASURING 380 FT MSL OPERATING IN THAT AREA. SINCE THE CTLRS ARE OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE 1000 FT SEPARATION BTWN ACFT AND OBSTRUCTIONS, THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT WAS IMMEDIATELY PEN-AND-INK CHANGED TO RAISE THE MVA FROM 1200 FT TO 1400 FT IN THE AREA IN WHICH THE CRANES ARE OPERATING. THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT NEGOTIATIONS WITH OR NOTIFICATION OF THE AIR TFC CTLRS REVIEW UNIT. SUCH NOTIFICATIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS ARE REQUIRED TO PRECLUDE THE IMPOSITION OF UNSAFE NEW PROCS. FAA MGMNT IN THIS AREA HAS LOST CTL OF THE APPROVAL PROCESS REQUIRED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANTENNA OR PLACEMENT OF TALL CONSTRUCTION CRANES THAT HAVE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IMPLICATIONS FOR LCL AVIATION. IN DECEMBER 2002, AN ANTENNA WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED 12 MI NW OF THE PENSACOLA REGIONAL ARPT. THE AIR TFC CTLRS AT PENSACOLA TRACON WERE NOT AWARE THAT THE ANTENNA WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED UNTIL THE PROJECT WAS ALMOST COMPLETE, AND ONLY 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE FAA TAKING ACTION TO RAISE THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT IN THAT AREA. WHEN QUESTIONED, PENSACOLA TRACON AIR TFC MGR STATED THAT SINCE AN AGREEMENT HAD BEEN SIGNED BTWN THE FAA SOUTHERN REGION AND THE PENSACOLA TRACON UNIT THAT STATED THAT THE FAA WOULD NO LONGER SURPRISE THE CTLRS WITH UNKNOWN OBSTACLES IN THE P-31 AIRSPACE, THAT IN THE INSTANCE OF THE NEW ANTENNA THE FAA'S RPTING PROCESS WAS NOT APPLICABLE TO THE NEWEST EVENT. WHEN QUESTIONED THIS TIME ABOUT THE PRESENT CRANE INCIDENT, P31 AIR TFC MGR AND PROCS SPECIALIST REPLIED THAT, AS IN THE DECEMBER ANTENNA INCIDENT, THE CTLRS AT PENSACOLA TRACON WERE NOT INFORMED ABOUT OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE AIRSPACE BECAUSE THE FAA SOUTHERN REGION'S PROC OFFICE HAD NOT NOTIFIED THEM. THIS HAS BEEN THEIR EXCUSE EACH TIME THEY HAVE FAILED TO NOTIFY THE CTLRS ABOUT OBSTRUCTIONS OR APCH CHART CHANGES IN A TIMELY FASHION, AND THIS HAS BEEN MANY TIMES. SINCE NO MGMNT PERSONNEL, AT THE LCL, REGIONAL, OR HEADQUARTERS LEVEL SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN CORRECTING THIS SERIOUS HAZARD TO AVIATION, PERHAPS NASA, RATHER THAN THE FAA, CAN INTERVENE TO IDENT AND FIX THE PROB.

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.