Narrative:

Our company operates extensively in the phl and new york areas. The routings and altitude combinations on two of our routes are potentially dangerous, yet we have gotten nowhere in trying to resolve the problems through the appropriate facilities. The personnel we have dealt with seem to understand our problem, and are sincere in their desire to help, but are unable to cut through the bureaucratic maze. First is the routing into phl from the north. Flts inbound from bgm and avp are routed down V29 and dropped to 4000' in the vicinity of etx. After the handoff to phl they are frequently taken down to 3000' for the remainder of the flight. Running IFR, turbine powered, 200 KT air carrier aircraft under the north side of the phl TCA is ludicrous. In this case the existence of a TCA at phl increases the risk of a midair, since the IFR aircraft are being put in the same airspace that the VFR aircraft are being forced to concentrate in. All the facilities involved say that there is no problem fixing this, but getting abe, phl and ny to work together seems to be impossible. The second problem is the routing from phl to hpn. We find ourselves down at 3000' on V249 between sbj and sax. Once again, this is a ridiculous place to have air carrier airplanes, and once again finding someone who can 'fix it' seems to be impossible. Numerous compromises must be made to accommodate the number of flts in the phl and ny areas. We accepted most of these compromises as, quite literally, the price we must pay to . Operate in these markets, but these two situations are clearly unreasonable. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: air carrier's director of flight standards has been working with ATC but can get no results. Coming down V29 from in etx area they are being worked by abe TRACON because of letter of agreement with ZNY so ZNY does not have to work them at the higher altitude. Between sax and sbj the same story N90 keeps them down supposedly because of traffic. Problem is the multiple airports in both areas and with summer they are now forced to operate down with all the heavy private traffic. All of this is apparently because of the new east coast plan and it is dangerous but no one in bureaucracy will listen or act.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TURBOPROP OPERATOR COMPLAINT ABOUT ATC LOW ALT ROUTING ENROUTE AND BELOW FLOOR OF TCA.

Narrative: OUR COMPANY OPERATES EXTENSIVELY IN THE PHL AND NEW YORK AREAS. THE ROUTINGS AND ALT COMBINATIONS ON TWO OF OUR ROUTES ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS, YET WE HAVE GOTTEN NOWHERE IN TRYING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE FACILITIES. THE PERSONNEL WE HAVE DEALT WITH SEEM TO UNDERSTAND OUR PROBLEM, AND ARE SINCERE IN THEIR DESIRE TO HELP, BUT ARE UNABLE TO CUT THROUGH THE BUREAUCRATIC MAZE. FIRST IS THE ROUTING INTO PHL FROM THE NORTH. FLTS INBOUND FROM BGM AND AVP ARE ROUTED DOWN V29 AND DROPPED TO 4000' IN THE VICINITY OF ETX. AFTER THE HANDOFF TO PHL THEY ARE FREQUENTLY TAKEN DOWN TO 3000' FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. RUNNING IFR, TURBINE POWERED, 200 KT AIR CARRIER ACFT UNDER THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PHL TCA IS LUDICROUS. IN THIS CASE THE EXISTENCE OF A TCA AT PHL INCREASES THE RISK OF A MIDAIR, SINCE THE IFR ACFT ARE BEING PUT IN THE SAME AIRSPACE THAT THE VFR ACFT ARE BEING FORCED TO CONCENTRATE IN. ALL THE FACILITIES INVOLVED SAY THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM FIXING THIS, BUT GETTING ABE, PHL AND NY TO WORK TOGETHER SEEMS TO BE IMPOSSIBLE. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THE ROUTING FROM PHL TO HPN. WE FIND OURSELVES DOWN AT 3000' ON V249 BETWEEN SBJ AND SAX. ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS A RIDICULOUS PLACE TO HAVE AIR CARRIER AIRPLANES, AND ONCE AGAIN FINDING SOMEONE WHO CAN 'FIX IT' SEEMS TO BE IMPOSSIBLE. NUMEROUS COMPROMISES MUST BE MADE TO ACCOMMODATE THE NUMBER OF FLTS IN THE PHL AND NY AREAS. WE ACCEPTED MOST OF THESE COMPROMISES AS, QUITE LITERALLY, THE PRICE WE MUST PAY TO . OPERATE IN THESE MARKETS, BUT THESE TWO SITUATIONS ARE CLEARLY UNREASONABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: ACR'S DIRECTOR OF FLT STANDARDS HAS BEEN WORKING WITH ATC BUT CAN GET NO RESULTS. COMING DOWN V29 FROM IN ETX AREA THEY ARE BEING WORKED BY ABE TRACON BECAUSE OF LETTER OF AGREEMENT WITH ZNY SO ZNY DOES NOT HAVE TO WORK THEM AT THE HIGHER ALT. BETWEEN SAX AND SBJ THE SAME STORY N90 KEEPS THEM DOWN SUPPOSEDLY BECAUSE OF TFC. PROBLEM IS THE MULTIPLE ARPTS IN BOTH AREAS AND WITH SUMMER THEY ARE NOW FORCED TO OPERATE DOWN WITH ALL THE HEAVY PVT TFC. ALL OF THIS IS APPARENTLY BECAUSE OF THE NEW EAST COAST PLAN AND IT IS DANGEROUS BUT NO ONE IN BUREAUCRACY WILL LISTEN OR ACT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.