 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Sct controller expressed concern regarding test beacon near sna that causes false TCASII alerts to arrival aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 651958 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200503 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : sli.vortac |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 8000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sct.tracon |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival : on vectors arrival star : kayoh 4 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 21 |
| ASRS Report | 651958 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | radar equipment : sct.tracon |
Narrative:
This is a description of a troublesome situation that occurs numerous times daily. Arrs to sna when runway 19R is the active runway are usually assigned the kayoh 4 arrival from the east. Kayoh intersection is located at the sli 076 degree radial; 23.31. 2 mi to the northwest is a test beacon that squawks a code without any mode C information. The MVA at the test beacon location is 5200 ft; while the eov map puts the beacon on the line between 6200-3400 ft. In order to give an aircraft a left turn onto the ILS to runway 19R; it is necessary to vector the aircraft over or near the test beacon. This invariably causes the TCASII on the aircraft to broadcast a traffic alert in the cockpit which results in: 1) a repetition of control instructions to the said aircraft after the pilot asks about traffic (with an explanation that there is no traffic); 2) the pilot being unable to hear control instructions because of the TA; doubling controller workload; or 3) all of the above. It is already a very difficult control position with a very short final and no airspace. I want to reiterate that this happens many times every day. Please help to remove the test beacon; or at least install some altitude encoding information.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SCT CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING TEST BEACON NEAR SNA THAT CAUSES FALSE TCASII ALERTS TO ARR ACFT.
Narrative: THIS IS A DESCRIPTION OF A TROUBLESOME SIT THAT OCCURS NUMEROUS TIMES DAILY. ARRS TO SNA WHEN RWY 19R IS THE ACTIVE RWY ARE USUALLY ASSIGNED THE KAYOH 4 ARR FROM THE E. KAYOH INTXN IS LOCATED AT THE SLI 076 DEG RADIAL; 23.31. 2 MI TO THE NW IS A TEST BEACON THAT SQUAWKS A CODE WITHOUT ANY MODE C INFO. THE MVA AT THE TEST BEACON LOCATION IS 5200 FT; WHILE THE EOV MAP PUTS THE BEACON ON THE LINE BTWN 6200-3400 FT. IN ORDER TO GIVE AN ACFT A L TURN ONTO THE ILS TO RWY 19R; IT IS NECESSARY TO VECTOR THE ACFT OVER OR NEAR THE TEST BEACON. THIS INVARIABLY CAUSES THE TCASII ON THE ACFT TO BROADCAST A TFC ALERT IN THE COCKPIT WHICH RESULTS IN: 1) A REPETITION OF CTL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE SAID ACFT AFTER THE PLT ASKS ABOUT TFC (WITH AN EXPLANATION THAT THERE IS NO TFC); 2) THE PLT BEING UNABLE TO HEAR CTL INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE OF THE TA; DOUBLING CTLR WORKLOAD; OR 3) ALL OF THE ABOVE. IT IS ALREADY A VERY DIFFICULT CTL POS WITH A VERY SHORT FINAL AND NO AIRSPACE. I WANT TO REITERATE THAT THIS HAPPENS MANY TIMES EVERY DAY. PLEASE HELP TO REMOVE THE TEST BEACON; OR AT LEAST INSTALL SOME ALT ENCODING INFO.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.