Narrative:

The tall ship procedure here at phl continues to not be followed. The procedure to deal with tall ship traffic crossing the arrival path for runway 35 arrs is as follows: the city of philadelphia is supposed to call and advise when there will be a ship in the channel; and a time when to suspend runway 25 arrs. After the ship passes the arrival path; the city of philadelphia shall call the ATCT to advise that the ship is clear and arrs may resume. Because the city of philadelphia is not following the procedure; we deal with calls of 'the ship is here now; send that aircraft around.' as happened in this instance with aircraft X; sent around short final because of the failure of this procedure. This happens almost on a daily basis. It also results in the approach control scrambling on short notice to vector aircraft off of vectors for runway 35 and re-vector for another runway. This continues to be an unsafe condition here at philadelphia. For a runway that we land on over 90% of our operation; it is not acceptable that this procedure is not followed. Runway 35 should not be used as an arrival runway until a procedure is developed and adhered to that removes this unsafe condition.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE ARPT'S FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH NOTIFICATION PROCS DURING SHIP MOVEMENTS CAUSING A GAR.

Narrative: THE TALL SHIP PROC HERE AT PHL CONTINUES TO NOT BE FOLLOWED. THE PROC TO DEAL WITH TALL SHIP TFC XING THE ARR PATH FOR RWY 35 ARRS IS AS FOLLOWS: THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA IS SUPPOSED TO CALL AND ADVISE WHEN THERE WILL BE A SHIP IN THE CHANNEL; AND A TIME WHEN TO SUSPEND RWY 25 ARRS. AFTER THE SHIP PASSES THE ARR PATH; THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA SHALL CALL THE ATCT TO ADVISE THAT THE SHIP IS CLR AND ARRS MAY RESUME. BECAUSE THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA IS NOT FOLLOWING THE PROC; WE DEAL WITH CALLS OF 'THE SHIP IS HERE NOW; SEND THAT ACFT AROUND.' AS HAPPENED IN THIS INSTANCE WITH ACFT X; SENT AROUND SHORT FINAL BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THIS PROC. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS. IT ALSO RESULTS IN THE APCH CTL SCRAMBLING ON SHORT NOTICE TO VECTOR ACFT OFF OF VECTORS FOR RWY 35 AND RE-VECTOR FOR ANOTHER RWY. THIS CONTINUES TO BE AN UNSAFE CONDITION HERE AT PHILADELPHIA. FOR A RWY THAT WE LAND ON OVER 90% OF OUR OP; IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE THAT THIS PROC IS NOT FOLLOWED. RWY 35 SHOULD NOT BE USED AS AN ARR RWY UNTIL A PROC IS DEVELOPED AND ADHERED TO THAT REMOVES THIS UNSAFE CONDITION.

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.