Narrative:

The approach to runway 35 at phl comes over the delaware river, which has frequent large ship traffic crossing the extended centerline of the runway. Due to a recent flight standards evaluation, it was determined arrivals can not 'fly over' large ships. The city of philadelphia has developed a 'ship watcher' who is required to inform us of approaching ship traffic so we can discontinue landing on runway 35 until the ship has passed. We are not getting sufficient notice of approaching ships and as such is making an unsafe situation. I have repeatedly had to send aircraft around within 5 miles of the runway due to the city stopping runway 35 arrs. This particular situation involved two aircraft that had to execute missed approach with late notice causing an unsafe situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL LCL CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH FAILED ARPT COORD, RESULTING IN GAR'S DUE TO SHIPS CROSSING APCH END OF RWY.

Narrative: THE APCH TO RWY 35 AT PHL COMES OVER THE DELAWARE RIVER, WHICH HAS FREQUENT LARGE SHIP TFC CROSSING THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF THE RWY. DUE TO A RECENT FLT STANDARDS EVALUATION, IT WAS DETERMINED ARRIVALS CAN NOT 'FLY OVER' LARGE SHIPS. THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HAS DEVELOPED A 'SHIP WATCHER' WHO IS REQUIRED TO INFORM US OF APCHING SHIP TFC SO WE CAN DISCONTINUE LNDG ON RWY 35 UNTIL THE SHIP HAS PASSED. WE ARE NOT GETTING SUFFICIENT NOTICE OF APCHING SHIPS AND AS SUCH IS MAKING AN UNSAFE SIT. I HAVE REPEATEDLY HAD TO SEND ACFT AROUND WITHIN 5 MILES OF THE RWY DUE TO THE CITY STOPPING RWY 35 ARRS. THIS PARTICULAR SIT INVOLVED TWO ACFT THAT HAD TO EXECUTE MISSED APCH WITH LATE NOTICE CAUSING AN UNSAFE SIT.

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.