<< >> NASA ASRS Report 89323, June 1988

Small aircraft operating in close proximity dal arsa and dfw TCA observed an medium large transport below arsa TCA floor at 3000'. Pilot questions practice of aircraft descending below arsa TCA airspace on approach to dfw or dal.

Attributes
ACN	89323
Time
Date	198806
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw airport : dal
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 39 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 58
ASRS Report	89323
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

A friend in another single engine aircraft had just joined with me flying approximately 1/2 mi apart at the same altitude. We were close to the unopened airport at frisco, tx. My friend alerted me to an xxbb airlines medium large transport that was passing under us. I never did see the medium large transport. I was squawking 1200 and we were under but outside the dfw TCA. The medium large transport was at 3000' MSL, 17 NM from his destination, love field. In the past 5 weeks, I personally have witnessed heavy airliners beneath the TCA passing east to west within 7 NM of addison airport en route to dfw airport at altitudes between 3000 and 5000' MSL. These large turbojets are foregoing the safety of the TCA and flying in a congested area mixing with small slow aircraft. The floor of the TCA is 5000' in this area. Neither safety nor economy would be compromised if the acrs would stay at an altitude that would put them within the TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA OPERATING IN CLOSE PROX DAL ARSA AND DFW TCA OBSERVED AN MLG BELOW ARSA TCA FLOOR AT 3000'. PLT QUESTIONS PRACTICE OF ACFT DESCENDING BELOW ARSA TCA AIRSPACE ON APCH TO DFW OR DAL.

Narrative: A FRIEND IN ANOTHER SINGLE ENG ACFT HAD JUST JOINED WITH ME FLYING APPROX 1/2 MI APART AT THE SAME ALT. WE WERE CLOSE TO THE UNOPENED ARPT AT FRISCO, TX. MY FRIEND ALERTED ME TO AN XXBB AIRLINES MLG THAT WAS PASSING UNDER US. I NEVER DID SEE THE MLG. I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 AND WE WERE UNDER BUT OUTSIDE THE DFW TCA. THE MLG WAS AT 3000' MSL, 17 NM FROM HIS DEST, LOVE FIELD. IN THE PAST 5 WKS, I PERSONALLY HAVE WITNESSED HVY AIRLINERS BENEATH THE TCA PASSING E TO W WITHIN 7 NM OF ADDISON ARPT ENRTE TO DFW ARPT AT ALTS BTWN 3000 AND 5000' MSL. THESE LARGE TURBOJETS ARE FOREGOING THE SAFETY OF THE TCA AND FLYING IN A CONGESTED AREA MIXING WITH SMALL SLOW ACFT. THE FLOOR OF THE TCA IS 5000' IN THIS AREA. NEITHER SAFETY NOR ECONOMY WOULD BE COMPROMISED IF THE ACRS WOULD STAY AT AN ALT THAT WOULD PUT THEM WITHIN THE TCA.

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.