A dfw approach controller exchanged traffic between a B737 crew and a twin otter pilot conducting sk...

Attributes
ACN	623275
Time
Date	200407
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : d10.tracon
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : bonham
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Twin Otter DHC-6
Operating Under FAR Part	other : 105
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise : enroute altitude change
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	623275
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : skydivers non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Airspace Structure

Narrative:

Descending on bonham arrival in dfw. ATC had cleared us to descend to 11000 ft. WX was excellent with good visibility. During descent, ATC called out traffic near bonham circling and climbing on the arrival. We saw the traffic about 10 miles out. It turned out to be a twin otter conducting skydiving operations. The controller called out us as traffic to the twin otter and informed that aircraft that we were descending to 11000 ft. The twin otter continued to orbit and climb right in the middle of the arrival. No attempts were made by the twin otter to turn off the arrival or stop its climb. I informed ATC that we had traffic in sight and that we were not comfortable with the separation. ATC told us that if we wanted we could slow our descent to 11000 ft in order to stay clear of the traffic. At no time did ATC ask the twin otter to stop his climb. We leveled off around 12000 ft, but the twin otter continued his climb and his orbit on the arrival. At no time did the twin otter maneuver to avoid us. After the initial traffic call, ATC made no further attempt to keep us clear of the aircraft until we question them and then their attempt at separation was limited to weakly telling us we could simply slow our descent. After we were clear of the traffic I commented to ATC that the arrival into dfw was a bad place to conduct skydiving operations. The controller told us that it was politics and that the skydiving company was there before the arrival and that they needed to make money. At no time did the controller show any concern for the safety of our aircraft or our passenger. We did not get a TCAS RA because of our maneuvering. We had the aircraft in sight the entire time and avoided it. However, I feel that the skydiving operation had no regard for aircraft descending on the arrival and that ATC was creating an extremely dangerous situation just so that the twin otter was in no way inconvenienced performing its drop. In the same situation if the aircraft on the arrival did not see this twin otter or did not realize that despite traffic calls from ATC that this aircraft was continuing to orbit on the arrival and climb, a midair could be a definite possibility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DFW APCH CTLR EXCHANGED TFC BETWEEN A B737 CREW AND A TWIN OTTER PLT CONDUCTING SKYDIVING OPS NEAR THE CTR OF THE BONHAM ARR AT 12000 FT.

Narrative: DSNDING ON BONHAM ARR IN DFW. ATC HAD CLRED US TO DSND TO 11000 FT. WX WAS EXCELLENT WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. DURING DSCNT, ATC CALLED OUT TFC NEAR BONHAM CIRCLING AND CLBING ON THE ARR. WE SAW THE TFC ABOUT 10 MILES OUT. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A TWIN OTTER CONDUCTING SKYDIVING OPS. THE CTLR CALLED OUT US AS TFC TO THE TWIN OTTER AND INFORMED THAT ACFT THAT WE WERE DSNDING TO 11000 FT. THE TWIN OTTER CONTINUED TO ORBIT AND CLB RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ARR. NO ATTEMPTS WERE MADE BY THE TWIN OTTER TO TURN OFF THE ARR OR STOP ITS CLB. I INFORMED ATC THAT WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT AND THAT WE WERE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SEPARATION. ATC TOLD US THAT IF WE WANTED WE COULD SLOW OUR DSCNT TO 11000 FT IN ORDER TO STAY CLEAR OF THE TFC. AT NO TIME DID ATC ASK THE TWIN OTTER TO STOP HIS CLB. WE LEVELED OFF AROUND 12000 FT, BUT THE TWIN OTTER CONTINUED HIS CLB AND HIS ORBIT ON THE ARR. AT NO TIME DID THE TWIN OTTER MANEUVER TO AVOID US. AFTER THE INITIAL TFC CALL, ATC MADE NO FURTHER ATTEMPT TO KEEP US CLEAR OF THE ACFT UNTIL WE QUESTION THEM AND THEN THEIR ATTEMPT AT SEPARATION WAS LIMITED TO WEAKLY TELLING US WE COULD SIMPLY SLOW OUR DSCNT. AFTER WE WERE CLEAR OF THE TFC I COMMENTED TO ATC THAT THE ARR INTO DFW WAS A BAD PLACE TO CONDUCT SKYDIVING OPS. THE CTLR TOLD US THAT IT WAS POLITICS AND THAT THE SKYDIVING COMPANY WAS THERE BEFORE THE ARR AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO MAKE MONEY. AT NO TIME DID THE CTLR SHOW ANY CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR ACFT OR OUR PAX. WE DID NOT GET A TCAS RA BECAUSE OF OUR MANEUVERING. WE HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE TIME AND AVOIDED IT. HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT THE SKYDIVING OP HAD NO REGARD FOR ACFT DSNDING ON THE ARR AND THAT ATC WAS CREATING AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SIT JUST SO THAT THE TWIN OTTER WAS IN NO WAY INCONVENIENCED PERFORMING ITS DROP. IN THE SAME SIT IF THE ACFT ON THE ARR DID NOT SEE THIS TWIN OTTER OR DID NOT REALIZE THAT DESPITE TFC CALLS FROM ATC THAT THIS ACFT WAS CONTINUING TO ORBIT ON THE ARR AND CLB, A MIDAIR COULD BE A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY.

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.

A dfw approach controller exchanged traffic between a B737 crew and a twin otter pilot conducting skydiving operations near the center of the bonham arrival at 12000 ft.