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B737 captain believes the clarr STAR at las exposes aircraft to unacceptable risks of orographic turbulence.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 775587 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200802 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : las.airport |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl single value : 13000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : l30.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : clarr |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 227 flight time type : 14000 |
| ASRS Report | 775587 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : turbulence |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Chart Or Publication |
| Primary Problem | Chart Or Publication |
| Situations | |
| Chart | star : clarr |
Narrative:
Recently; on the arrival of an aircraft on the clarr arrival into las soon before our arrival; an aircraft experienced severe turbulence and flight attendant injuries over kepec. This is now officially an area of known or probable for severe turbulence and ATC has no business directing aircraft over this point and we as pilots cannot accept this clearance. This has always been a poorly designed approach and further injuries will occur over this area in the future; it is simply a matter of time. The conditions on the day included wind in excess of 90 KTS on arrival and were apparent to us that severe turbulence was probable. I have often refused clearance over this terrain (red rocks) due to turbulence caused by thermals in the summer. Here is what we did. We crossed ipumy at 13000 ft and nipzo at 11000 ft with never even a bump. We need to add another 2000 ft to the arrs over this area. The higher the better and eliminate the kepec fix entirely. Clarr should go directly to ipumy. Given the size of the pattern in las; this poses no problem getting down.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 CAPTAIN BELIEVES THE CLARR STAR AT LAS EXPOSES ACFT TO UNACCEPTABLE RISKS OF OROGRAPHIC TURBULENCE.
Narrative: RECENTLY; ON THE ARR OF AN ACFT ON THE CLARR ARR INTO LAS SOON BEFORE OUR ARR; AN ACFT EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURB AND FLT ATTENDANT INJURIES OVER KEPEC. THIS IS NOW OFFICIALLY AN AREA OF KNOWN OR PROBABLE FOR SEVERE TURB AND ATC HAS NO BUSINESS DIRECTING ACFT OVER THIS POINT AND WE AS PLTS CANNOT ACCEPT THIS CLRNC. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A POORLY DESIGNED APCH AND FURTHER INJURIES WILL OCCUR OVER THIS AREA IN THE FUTURE; IT IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF TIME. THE CONDITIONS ON THE DAY INCLUDED WIND IN EXCESS OF 90 KTS ON ARR AND WERE APPARENT TO US THAT SEVERE TURB WAS PROBABLE. I HAVE OFTEN REFUSED CLRNC OVER THIS TERRAIN (RED ROCKS) DUE TO TURB CAUSED BY THERMALS IN THE SUMMER. HERE IS WHAT WE DID. WE CROSSED IPUMY AT 13000 FT AND NIPZO AT 11000 FT WITH NEVER EVEN A BUMP. WE NEED TO ADD ANOTHER 2000 FT TO THE ARRS OVER THIS AREA. THE HIGHER THE BETTER AND ELIMINATE THE KEPEC FIX ENTIRELY. CLARR SHOULD GO DIRECTLY TO IPUMY. GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE PATTERN IN LAS; THIS POSES NO PROB GETTING DOWN.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.