Narrative:

Departed ZZZ for teb. Flew to hoxie intersection; and joined the LVZ3 arrival. All operations normal. Shortly before stw VOR; was told by new york approach to turn left direct wanes for the VOR/DME-a to teb. I have done this approach numerous times; and am familiar with it. It is the normal arrival method into teb; culminating in flying over the top of the airport and beginning a circling maneuver to runway 19 for landing. We were specifically cleared for: the VOR/DME-a to teb; to cross wanes intersection at 3000 ft MSL; and clifo at 2000 ft MSL; circle to runway 19. Approach seemed routine; utilizing both lateral and vertical guidance from our dual FMS system. During this time; the frequency was very congested (normal for ny area); so we were concerned when approach had not turned us over to teb tower; as we were almost above the airport. We didn't have to ask the controller; however; as he was finally able to hand us off to tower at that exact moment. It was the next moment that totally freaked us out: just as the PIC flipped to the teb tower frequency; you could hear the tower try to call us. The PIC responded that we were just joining him. We were immediately admonished that we were to be at 1500 ft MSL; not at 1000 ft MSL; for the circle. The charted procedure gives an MDA of 1000 ft MSL. Nowhere on the chart is there any mention of 1500 ft MSL for anything. At no time do we ever recall ny approach telling us to do the circle at 1500 ft. I have tried very hard to recall these events; and still cannot recall whether the controller ever told us to maintain 1500 ft. In addition; during the admonishment from the teb tower; the controller also said something about the handoff I found confusing. He said something of the effect that we should have questioned the approach controller as to why we hadn't been handed off yet; or just flipped over ourselves to the tower frequency. There are 2 problems with that: 1) the approach frequency was so congested that we could not get a word in edgewise; and 2) changing frequencys on our own was frowned upon in the aim; or so I thought. I know that the approach controller handed us off right after he handed off an airplane behind us on the same approach. That is probably what reminded him that he hadn't handed us off yet. The controller did not ask us to make a phone call; nor did we question anything; as the frequency was congested enough as is. This critical phase of flight during a very demanding maneuver is not the time to be trying to figure out if I'll still have a career after I land. The PIC is a former air traffic controller; and feels that nothing is wrong; and there is no violation or other issues to worry about. I hope this is a dead issue; but feel compelled to send this report anyhow. However; if ATC desires to use this approach as a means of flow control into teb; I would like to ask that this become a separate charted procedure; using 1500 ft MSL as the circling altitude. That way; you have the current procedure for when dictated by WX minimums; and a new one; based on the VOR/DME-a; that could be used for daily arrs when WX permits; and would not require ATC reminders to cross the airport at 1500 ft MSL. This could be called the patterson visual or something to that extent; with the charted procedure; mandatory crossing altitudes and any other ATC requirements built into it. Ny TRACON is one of the busiest places I know of. They don't have the time to often spell this out to each aircraft arriving in succession to teb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW REPORTS BEING ADMONISHED BY TEB TOWER FOR DESCENDING TO MDA ON THE VOR DME-A AFTER A LATE HANDOFF FROM N90.

Narrative: DEPARTED ZZZ FOR TEB. FLEW TO HOXIE INTXN; AND JOINED THE LVZ3 ARR. ALL OPS NORMAL. SHORTLY BEFORE STW VOR; WAS TOLD BY NEW YORK APCH TO TURN L DIRECT WANES FOR THE VOR/DME-A TO TEB. I HAVE DONE THIS APCH NUMEROUS TIMES; AND AM FAMILIAR WITH IT. IT IS THE NORMAL ARR METHOD INTO TEB; CULMINATING IN FLYING OVER THE TOP OF THE ARPT AND BEGINNING A CIRCLING MANEUVER TO RWY 19 FOR LNDG. WE WERE SPECIFICALLY CLRED FOR: THE VOR/DME-A TO TEB; TO CROSS WANES INTXN AT 3000 FT MSL; AND CLIFO AT 2000 FT MSL; CIRCLE TO RWY 19. APCH SEEMED ROUTINE; UTILIZING BOTH LATERAL AND VERT GUIDANCE FROM OUR DUAL FMS SYS. DURING THIS TIME; THE FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED (NORMAL FOR NY AREA); SO WE WERE CONCERNED WHEN APCH HAD NOT TURNED US OVER TO TEB TWR; AS WE WERE ALMOST ABOVE THE ARPT. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO ASK THE CTLR; HOWEVER; AS HE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO HAND US OFF TO TWR AT THAT EXACT MOMENT. IT WAS THE NEXT MOMENT THAT TOTALLY FREAKED US OUT: JUST AS THE PIC FLIPPED TO THE TEB TWR FREQ; YOU COULD HEAR THE TWR TRY TO CALL US. THE PIC RESPONDED THAT WE WERE JUST JOINING HIM. WE WERE IMMEDIATELY ADMONISHED THAT WE WERE TO BE AT 1500 FT MSL; NOT AT 1000 FT MSL; FOR THE CIRCLE. THE CHARTED PROC GIVES AN MDA OF 1000 FT MSL. NOWHERE ON THE CHART IS THERE ANY MENTION OF 1500 FT MSL FOR ANYTHING. AT NO TIME DO WE EVER RECALL NY APCH TELLING US TO DO THE CIRCLE AT 1500 FT. I HAVE TRIED VERY HARD TO RECALL THESE EVENTS; AND STILL CANNOT RECALL WHETHER THE CTLR EVER TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 1500 FT. IN ADDITION; DURING THE ADMONISHMENT FROM THE TEB TWR; THE CTLR ALSO SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE HDOF I FOUND CONFUSING. HE SAID SOMETHING OF THE EFFECT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE APCH CTLR AS TO WHY WE HADN'T BEEN HANDED OFF YET; OR JUST FLIPPED OVER OURSELVES TO THE TWR FREQ. THERE ARE 2 PROBS WITH THAT: 1) THE APCH FREQ WAS SO CONGESTED THAT WE COULD NOT GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE; AND 2) CHANGING FREQS ON OUR OWN WAS FROWNED UPON IN THE AIM; OR SO I THOUGHT. I KNOW THAT THE APCH CTLR HANDED US OFF RIGHT AFTER HE HANDED OFF AN AIRPLANE BEHIND US ON THE SAME APCH. THAT IS PROBABLY WHAT REMINDED HIM THAT HE HADN'T HANDED US OFF YET. THE CTLR DID NOT ASK US TO MAKE A PHONE CALL; NOR DID WE QUESTION ANYTHING; AS THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED ENOUGH AS IS. THIS CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT DURING A VERY DEMANDING MANEUVER IS NOT THE TIME TO BE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF I'LL STILL HAVE A CAREER AFTER I LAND. THE PIC IS A FORMER AIR TFC CTLR; AND FEELS THAT NOTHING IS WRONG; AND THERE IS NO VIOLATION OR OTHER ISSUES TO WORRY ABOUT. I HOPE THIS IS A DEAD ISSUE; BUT FEEL COMPELLED TO SEND THIS RPT ANYHOW. HOWEVER; IF ATC DESIRES TO USE THIS APCH AS A MEANS OF FLOW CTL INTO TEB; I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT THIS BECOME A SEPARATE CHARTED PROC; USING 1500 FT MSL AS THE CIRCLING ALT. THAT WAY; YOU HAVE THE CURRENT PROC FOR WHEN DICTATED BY WX MINIMUMS; AND A NEW ONE; BASED ON THE VOR/DME-A; THAT COULD BE USED FOR DAILY ARRS WHEN WX PERMITS; AND WOULD NOT REQUIRE ATC REMINDERS TO CROSS THE ARPT AT 1500 FT MSL. THIS COULD BE CALLED THE PATTERSON VISUAL OR SOMETHING TO THAT EXTENT; WITH THE CHARTED PROC; MANDATORY XING ALTS AND ANY OTHER ATC REQUIREMENTS BUILT INTO IT. NY TRACON IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST PLACES I KNOW OF. THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO OFTEN SPELL THIS OUT TO EACH ACFT ARRIVING IN SUCCESSION TO TEB.

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.