Narrative:

This as soon as possible report is in reference to the terrible ATC situation in aruba. This report will cover some of the problems facing pilots flying into aruba. The first confusing situation arises when there is more than 1 aircraft approaching tnca. Company aircraft usually approach from the north fir boundary at veska. At this point they are told to either continue inbound on the airway (which does not cross the island of aruba) or are given instructions to fly direct to aruba VOR (aba 112.5). From here it can get a bit more complicated. On the island of aruba, there are actually 2 vors, (aba, aruba 112.5 and bea, beatrix 113.8 which happens to be the IAF for the ILS to runway 11). They are located within a mi of each other. Normally, this would not create a problem because of radar control. However, in aruba the radar control is provided by curacao located east of aruba. As you get closer to aba VOR, curacao will hand you off to aruba approach control. Aruba approach control is through the tower and non-radar. Here is where it gets complicated. Aruba approach will ask for radial/DME information. Sometimes they want it off of aba VOR and other times they want it off of bea VOR. The complication arises if there is more than 1 aircraft in the sky. If this happens then it is not unusual for 1 aircraft to be on the aba VOR and the others to be on bea. All dscnts are radial/DME. It is not unusual to be within 10 mi of the field and 8000-10000 ft. For some reason if an aircraft takes off this creates even more problems. A SID with a radial/DME/altitude requirement would greatly enhance the safety factor and situation. Evidently, the aruba tower does not have radar and relies on radial/DME for controling purposes. My latest encounter initially had us track inbound on the aba 352 degree radial. As we started our descent with curacao and approached within 50 NM of aba they handed me off to aruba approach control. At approximately 30 NM, I had the island in sight and informed the controller. She asked my radial/DME from aba. I gave it then asked if we could go directly to the FAF. She cleared us to go to the FAF, but would not let us descend due to traffic that had just departed. As we approached the 290 degree radial at 10 DME and 8000 ft I again asked for a descent. At this point, I was cleared to intercept the localizer for a visual approach to runway 11. I told the controller we could not land on this pass because of the excessive altitude. The controller then said fly direct to the VOR and hold as published. I then asked which VOR? Her retort was the only one that has a holding pattern bea. All this time we had been tracking inbound to the station using the aba VOR. Now, in a huff the controller sends me to hold on the bea VOR when we are practically on top of the station and only one other aircraft around. This deviation to hold and fly the full approach cost this company 15 mins flying time and approximately 1600 pounds of fuel. While on the ground I spoke with a company Y pilot about the ATC problem. He told me just last week they held him at 31000 ft until over the VOR. At this point curacao cleared him to descend and pick up the approach with aruba. When he switched to aruba they cleared him for the visual while he was still at 20000 ft. There has got to be a better way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 PLT EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH ATC SVC INTO ARUBA.

Narrative: THIS ASAP RPT IS IN REF TO THE TERRIBLE ATC SIT IN ARUBA. THIS RPT WILL COVER SOME OF THE PROBS FACING PLTS FLYING INTO ARUBA. THE FIRST CONFUSING SIT ARISES WHEN THERE IS MORE THAN 1 ACFT APCHING TNCA. COMPANY ACFT USUALLY APCH FROM THE N FIR BOUNDARY AT VESKA. AT THIS POINT THEY ARE TOLD TO EITHER CONTINUE INBOUND ON THE AIRWAY (WHICH DOES NOT CROSS THE ISLAND OF ARUBA) OR ARE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY DIRECT TO ARUBA VOR (ABA 112.5). FROM HERE IT CAN GET A BIT MORE COMPLICATED. ON THE ISLAND OF ARUBA, THERE ARE ACTUALLY 2 VORS, (ABA, ARUBA 112.5 AND BEA, BEATRIX 113.8 WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE IAF FOR THE ILS TO RWY 11). THEY ARE LOCATED WITHIN A MI OF EACH OTHER. NORMALLY, THIS WOULD NOT CREATE A PROB BECAUSE OF RADAR CTL. HOWEVER, IN ARUBA THE RADAR CTL IS PROVIDED BY CURACAO LOCATED E OF ARUBA. AS YOU GET CLOSER TO ABA VOR, CURACAO WILL HAND YOU OFF TO ARUBA APCH CTL. ARUBA APCH CTL IS THROUGH THE TWR AND NON-RADAR. HERE IS WHERE IT GETS COMPLICATED. ARUBA APCH WILL ASK FOR RADIAL/DME INFO. SOMETIMES THEY WANT IT OFF OF ABA VOR AND OTHER TIMES THEY WANT IT OFF OF BEA VOR. THE COMPLICATION ARISES IF THERE IS MORE THAN 1 ACFT IN THE SKY. IF THIS HAPPENS THEN IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR 1 ACFT TO BE ON THE ABA VOR AND THE OTHERS TO BE ON BEA. ALL DSCNTS ARE RADIAL/DME. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO BE WITHIN 10 MI OF THE FIELD AND 8000-10000 FT. FOR SOME REASON IF AN ACFT TAKES OFF THIS CREATES EVEN MORE PROBS. A SID WITH A RADIAL/DME/ALT REQUIREMENT WOULD GREATLY ENHANCE THE SAFETY FACTOR AND SIT. EVIDENTLY, THE ARUBA TWR DOES NOT HAVE RADAR AND RELIES ON RADIAL/DME FOR CTLING PURPOSES. MY LATEST ENCOUNTER INITIALLY HAD US TRACK INBOUND ON THE ABA 352 DEG RADIAL. AS WE STARTED OUR DSCNT WITH CURACAO AND APCHED WITHIN 50 NM OF ABA THEY HANDED ME OFF TO ARUBA APCH CTL. AT APPROX 30 NM, I HAD THE ISLAND IN SIGHT AND INFORMED THE CTLR. SHE ASKED MY RADIAL/DME FROM ABA. I GAVE IT THEN ASKED IF WE COULD GO DIRECTLY TO THE FAF. SHE CLRED US TO GO TO THE FAF, BUT WOULD NOT LET US DSND DUE TO TFC THAT HAD JUST DEPARTED. AS WE APCHED THE 290 DEG RADIAL AT 10 DME AND 8000 FT I AGAIN ASKED FOR A DSCNT. AT THIS POINT, I WAS CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 11. I TOLD THE CTLR WE COULD NOT LAND ON THIS PASS BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE ALT. THE CTLR THEN SAID FLY DIRECT TO THE VOR AND HOLD AS PUBLISHED. I THEN ASKED WHICH VOR? HER RETORT WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A HOLDING PATTERN BEA. ALL THIS TIME WE HAD BEEN TRACKING INBOUND TO THE STATION USING THE ABA VOR. NOW, IN A HUFF THE CTLR SENDS ME TO HOLD ON THE BEA VOR WHEN WE ARE PRACTICALLY ON TOP OF THE STATION AND ONLY ONE OTHER ACFT AROUND. THIS DEV TO HOLD AND FLY THE FULL APCH COST THIS COMPANY 15 MINS FLYING TIME AND APPROX 1600 LBS OF FUEL. WHILE ON THE GND I SPOKE WITH A COMPANY Y PLT ABOUT THE ATC PROB. HE TOLD ME JUST LAST WK THEY HELD HIM AT 31000 FT UNTIL OVER THE VOR. AT THIS POINT CURACAO CLRED HIM TO DSND AND PICK UP THE APCH WITH ARUBA. WHEN HE SWITCHED TO ARUBA THEY CLRED HIM FOR THE VISUAL WHILE HE WAS STILL AT 20000 FT. THERE HAS GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY.

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.