Narrative:

After being cleared by gray (grk) approach to 4000 ft and direct daghu (the IAF for GPS 18 gtu); they handed me off to austin approach when I was only 2 mi from the fix. I was solidly in IMC with occasional glimpses of sky and ground. But the clouds were thicker and the visibility poorer than the metars implied. Gtu automatic 150 degrees 7 KTS 7 SM few 021 overcast 038 27/22. Gtu automatic 160 degrees 7 KTS 110v170 8 SM few 021 overcast 038 27/22. Gtu automatic 170 degrees 6 KTS 8 SM few 023 scattered 030 overcast 038 27/22. Gtu automatic 160 degrees 8 KTS 8 SM few 021 scattered 032 overcast 038 27/22. Upon calling austin; I reported; '4000 ft; direct daghu; requesting approach clearance to GPS 18 gtu.' they responded with a question if I had the WX; which I answered in the affirmative. This all took long enough that I am now at daghu. They then told me to maintain 4000 ft. I queried about the clearance. I maintained 4000 ft but turned on to the approach course. A citation checked in during this; also going to gtu. The citation pilot said he would try for the visual. I was still mostly IMC and definitely not able to be legally VFR. The xmissions were very poor requiring that I ask several times for information again or tell them that they were not readable. The next transmission was; 'cross daghu at 4000 ft; cleared GPS 18 approach.' I replied that I had already crossed daghu; and repeated the clearance. I then began to descend to 3000 ft (the published minimum on this leg). Several garbled xmissions. Then a traffic alert from my onboard TCAS showing traffic less than 1 mi ahead of me and about 600 ft below. (I had descended less than 400 ft.) then austin telling me to maintain 4000 ft. I started to climb and I stated that I thought I was cleared for the approach. In less than 30 seconds; I was again 'issued' a clearance. Austin never informed me of the traffic (or I couldn't hear it) and it was no longer on my scope. I then began my descent. There is no likely way that the traffic that I observed below me at 3000 ft was in visual conditions or legally below and separated from the clouds. I did not get below the clouds until 2700 ft MSL. The citation pilot called he had a visual. I think it is highly unlikely he was out of the clouds at vectoring altitude; but he didn't want to be delayed. I didn't hear his clearance; but it appears that austin approach cleared 2 IFR aircraft for the same non-twred airport at the same time! Factors: radio handoff timing between approach control and the position of the IAF. Poor austin approach radio transmission. Unclr austin communication regarding clearance and altitude. Austin's apparent lack of understanding of my position. Non IFR traffic very probably in IMC on approach path. No traffic warning from austin (or unable to hear). Citation pilot calling visual when conditions make it highly unlikely. 2 planes issued approach clrncs (?) to a non-twred airport at the same time (me and the citation pilot?). Accuracy of metars to depict local; approach WX. Additional factors: austin's radios are just plain bad and there appears to be no attempt to improve their quality. This is a widely known problem. This is just plain dangerous. This is not the first time I have seen non-IFR traffic flying in the clouds in georgetown. I don't know how prevalent this 'bad' behavior is; but I'm newly located at gtu and I'm shocked to see this going on. This is also not the first time I have witnessed turbine or jet pilots calling visual at a non-twred airport when there is no way they have it. Especially if there is already someone on the approach and they will be delayed. Upon reviewing this incident with other experienced pilots; they all admit this goes on 'all the time.' I am reporting; here; this incident. But I think this is far more widespread and will likely not get any attention until there is an accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SR22 PILOT REPORTS BEING PASSED BELOW BY A CITATION WHILE FLYING THE GPS RWY 18 TO GTU IN IMC. POOR RADIO RECEPTION WITH AUSTIN APPROACH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED BY GRAY (GRK) APCH TO 4000 FT AND DIRECT DAGHU (THE IAF FOR GPS 18 GTU); THEY HANDED ME OFF TO AUSTIN APCH WHEN I WAS ONLY 2 MI FROM THE FIX. I WAS SOLIDLY IN IMC WITH OCCASIONAL GLIMPSES OF SKY AND GND. BUT THE CLOUDS WERE THICKER AND THE VISIBILITY POORER THAN THE METARS IMPLIED. GTU AUTO 150 DEGS 7 KTS 7 SM FEW 021 OVCST 038 27/22. GTU AUTO 160 DEGS 7 KTS 110V170 8 SM FEW 021 OVCST 038 27/22. GTU AUTO 170 DEGS 6 KTS 8 SM FEW 023 SCATTERED 030 OVCST 038 27/22. GTU AUTO 160 DEGS 8 KTS 8 SM FEW 021 SCATTERED 032 OVCST 038 27/22. UPON CALLING AUSTIN; I RPTED; '4000 FT; DIRECT DAGHU; REQUESTING APCH CLRNC TO GPS 18 GTU.' THEY RESPONDED WITH A QUESTION IF I HAD THE WX; WHICH I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THIS ALL TOOK LONG ENOUGH THAT I AM NOW AT DAGHU. THEY THEN TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. I QUERIED ABOUT THE CLRNC. I MAINTAINED 4000 FT BUT TURNED ON TO THE APCH COURSE. A CITATION CHECKED IN DURING THIS; ALSO GOING TO GTU. THE CITATION PLT SAID HE WOULD TRY FOR THE VISUAL. I WAS STILL MOSTLY IMC AND DEFINITELY NOT ABLE TO BE LEGALLY VFR. THE XMISSIONS WERE VERY POOR REQUIRING THAT I ASK SEVERAL TIMES FOR INFO AGAIN OR TELL THEM THAT THEY WERE NOT READABLE. THE NEXT XMISSION WAS; 'CROSS DAGHU AT 4000 FT; CLRED GPS 18 APCH.' I REPLIED THAT I HAD ALREADY CROSSED DAGHU; AND REPEATED THE CLRNC. I THEN BEGAN TO DSND TO 3000 FT (THE PUBLISHED MINIMUM ON THIS LEG). SEVERAL GARBLED XMISSIONS. THEN A TFC ALERT FROM MY ONBOARD TCAS SHOWING TFC LESS THAN 1 MI AHEAD OF ME AND ABOUT 600 FT BELOW. (I HAD DSNDED LESS THAN 400 FT.) THEN AUSTIN TELLING ME TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. I STARTED TO CLB AND I STATED THAT I THOUGHT I WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH. IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS; I WAS AGAIN 'ISSUED' A CLRNC. AUSTIN NEVER INFORMED ME OF THE TFC (OR I COULDN'T HEAR IT) AND IT WAS NO LONGER ON MY SCOPE. I THEN BEGAN MY DSCNT. THERE IS NO LIKELY WAY THAT THE TFC THAT I OBSERVED BELOW ME AT 3000 FT WAS IN VISUAL CONDITIONS OR LEGALLY BELOW AND SEPARATED FROM THE CLOUDS. I DID NOT GET BELOW THE CLOUDS UNTIL 2700 FT MSL. THE CITATION PLT CALLED HE HAD A VISUAL. I THINK IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY HE WAS OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT VECTORING ALT; BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE DELAYED. I DIDN'T HEAR HIS CLRNC; BUT IT APPEARS THAT AUSTIN APCH CLRED 2 IFR ACFT FOR THE SAME NON-TWRED ARPT AT THE SAME TIME! FACTORS: RADIO HDOF TIMING BTWN APCH CTL AND THE POS OF THE IAF. POOR AUSTIN APCH RADIO XMISSION. UNCLR AUSTIN COM REGARDING CLRNC AND ALT. AUSTIN'S APPARENT LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF MY POS. NON IFR TFC VERY PROBABLY IN IMC ON APCH PATH. NO TFC WARNING FROM AUSTIN (OR UNABLE TO HEAR). CITATION PLT CALLING VISUAL WHEN CONDITIONS MAKE IT HIGHLY UNLIKELY. 2 PLANES ISSUED APCH CLRNCS (?) TO A NON-TWRED ARPT AT THE SAME TIME (ME AND THE CITATION PLT?). ACCURACY OF METARS TO DEPICT LCL; APCH WX. ADDITIONAL FACTORS: AUSTIN'S RADIOS ARE JUST PLAIN BAD AND THERE APPEARS TO BE NO ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY. THIS IS A WIDELY KNOWN PROB. THIS IS JUST PLAIN DANGEROUS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN NON-IFR TFC FLYING IN THE CLOUDS IN GEORGETOWN. I DON'T KNOW HOW PREVALENT THIS 'BAD' BEHAVIOR IS; BUT I'M NEWLY LOCATED AT GTU AND I'M SHOCKED TO SEE THIS GOING ON. THIS IS ALSO NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE WITNESSED TURBINE OR JET PLTS CALLING VISUAL AT A NON-TWRED ARPT WHEN THERE IS NO WAY THEY HAVE IT. ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS ALREADY SOMEONE ON THE APCH AND THEY WILL BE DELAYED. UPON REVIEWING THIS INCIDENT WITH OTHER EXPERIENCED PLTS; THEY ALL ADMIT THIS GOES ON 'ALL THE TIME.' I AM RPTING; HERE; THIS INCIDENT. BUT I THINK THIS IS FAR MORE WIDESPREAD AND WILL LIKELY NOT GET ANY ATTN UNTIL THERE IS AN ACCIDENT.

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.