Narrative:

Phx tower insists that all arriving aircraft land into the sun during the mornings on runway 7L and 7R and runway 8 and opposite that in the afternoons. Ostensibly this is for 'noise abatement;' but in my opinion it is because the controllers do not want to look into the sun. I am very concerned that the airport flow is being managed for the controllers' benefit and at the expense of the safety of the many airplanes full of people that are being landed into very bright; low-angle sun conditions. The pilots are effectively blinded by the sun in the most critical phase of flight solely for the convenience of the controllers. In a no/calm wind situation; the flow of the aircraft should be to land with the sun at the pilots' backs so they can see what they are trying to land on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT REPORTS PHX ATC LANDS ACFT EAST INTO THE RISING SUN AND WEST INTO THE SETTING SUN. PILOTS ARE SUN-BLINDED AND RPTR BELIEVES THIS POLICY SHOULD BE CHANGED.

Narrative: PHX TWR INSISTS THAT ALL ARRIVING ACFT LAND INTO THE SUN DURING THE MORNINGS ON RWY 7L AND 7R AND RWY 8 AND OPPOSITE THAT IN THE AFTERNOONS. OSTENSIBLY THIS IS FOR 'NOISE ABATEMENT;' BUT IN MY OPINION IT IS BECAUSE THE CTLRS DO NOT WANT TO LOOK INTO THE SUN. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE ARPT FLOW IS BEING MANAGED FOR THE CTLRS' BENEFIT AND AT THE EXPENSE OF THE SAFETY OF THE MANY AIRPLANES FULL OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING LANDED INTO VERY BRIGHT; LOW-ANGLE SUN CONDITIONS. THE PLTS ARE EFFECTIVELY BLINDED BY THE SUN IN THE MOST CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT SOLELY FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE CTLRS. IN A NO/CALM WIND SIT; THE FLOW OF THE ACFT SHOULD BE TO LAND WITH THE SUN AT THE PLTS' BACKS SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO LAND ON.

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.