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CL604 pilot alleges that the airport traffic pattern procedures at iwa are unsafe and prudent separation criteria are not met.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 725498 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200701 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iwa.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Challenger CL604 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 725498 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 500 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Airport |
| Primary Problem | Airspace Structure |
Narrative:
We have been operating at iwa; williams gateway; in the pattern for over a week. This place is an accident waiting to happen. It has 3 parallel runways; all in use simultaneously with heavy training traffic; both fixed wing and rotary wing. We get so many RA's and TA's (20 or more a day); we ended up going to the TA only mode if traffic was heavy. Typically we had 10+ TCAS targets on the TCAS display at minimum range at all times. We had a TA nearly every approach and one pilot having to visually acquire it every time. There were opposite direction apches going on all the time on one runway. Extra 300's doing high speed passes or steep pull ups and go around turns on departure. This is a former military base still operating like one -- it does not appear to meet FAA standards for procedures or separation. The FAA needs to visit iwa anonymously and fly the pattern and observe the operation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CL604 PLT ALLEGES THAT THE ARPT TFC PATTERN PROCS AT IWA ARE UNSAFE AND PRUDENT SEPARATION CRITERIA ARE NOT MET.
Narrative: WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT IWA; WILLIAMS GATEWAY; IN THE PATTERN FOR OVER A WEEK. THIS PLACE IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. IT HAS 3 PARALLEL RWYS; ALL IN USE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH HEAVY TRAINING TFC; BOTH FIXED WING AND ROTARY WING. WE GET SO MANY RA'S AND TA'S (20 OR MORE A DAY); WE ENDED UP GOING TO THE TA ONLY MODE IF TFC WAS HEAVY. TYPICALLY WE HAD 10+ TCAS TARGETS ON THE TCAS DISPLAY AT MINIMUM RANGE AT ALL TIMES. WE HAD A TA NEARLY EVERY APCH AND ONE PLT HAVING TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE IT EVERY TIME. THERE WERE OPPOSITE DIRECTION APCHES GOING ON ALL THE TIME ON ONE RWY. EXTRA 300'S DOING HIGH SPD PASSES OR STEEP PULL UPS AND GO AROUND TURNS ON DEP. THIS IS A FORMER MIL BASE STILL OPERATING LIKE ONE -- IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO MEET FAA STANDARDS FOR PROCS OR SEPARATION. THE FAA NEEDS TO VISIT IWA ANONYMOUSLY AND FLY THE PATTERN AND OBSERVE THE OPERATION.
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.