Corp jet flight crew complaint reference late transfer of ATC jurisdiction from ZHU to lrd tower. Co...

Attributes
ACN	95396
Time
Date	198810
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lrd
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu tower : lrd
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 9400 flight time type : 260
ASRS Report	95396
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	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	Operational Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Hou ARTCC vectored us, corp X, overhead lrd, our destination at 5000' MSL. We reported the airport in sight 2 times and requested a visual approach. Hou continued to vector us around reference to many VFR targets. We were turned right downwind and cleared for a visual approach from 4000' MSL to runway 35 (right or left?). Having spotted traffic to runway 35L, I directed the PF to approach runway 35R. Only after my insistence did hou hand us off to lrd tower. This occurred approximately 1 1/2 mi on final. In the meantime, lrd tower had spun out the runway 35L traffic, not knowing for sure what runway we intended to land on. The late handoff caused an unnecessary burden on the tower operator's ability to provide an orderly arrival sequence. This report was prompted by my being questioned via telephone by the tower operator 2 hours later. The thrust of his inquiry was as to when hou center gave us the handoff to tower. He indicated to me that this was not an uncommon occurrence. It is our company policy to not cancel an IFR flight plan when the destination has an operating control tower, therefore following the controller's instructions were SOP for us. However, the arrival to lrd was too high, too uncoordinated (ARTCC controller/tower) and a much too late handoff to be consistent with the safe, orderly sequencing of arriving aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP JET FLT CREW COMPLAINT REFERENCE LATE TRANSFER OF ATC JURISDICTION FROM ZHU TO LRD TWR. CORP ACFT WELL INTO ATA AND IN POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH TWR PATTERN TRAFFIC. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: HOU ARTCC VECTORED US, CORP X, OVERHEAD LRD, OUR DEST AT 5000' MSL. WE RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT 2 TIMES AND REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH. HOU CONTINUED TO VECTOR US AROUND REF TO MANY VFR TARGETS. WE WERE TURNED RIGHT DOWNWIND AND CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH FROM 4000' MSL TO RWY 35 (R OR L?). HAVING SPOTTED TFC TO RWY 35L, I DIRECTED THE PF TO APCH RWY 35R. ONLY AFTER MY INSISTENCE DID HOU HAND US OFF TO LRD TWR. THIS OCCURRED APPROX 1 1/2 MI ON FINAL. IN THE MEANTIME, LRD TWR HAD SPUN OUT THE RWY 35L TFC, NOT KNOWING FOR SURE WHAT RWY WE INTENDED TO LAND ON. THE LATE HDOF CAUSED AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN ON THE TWR OPERATOR'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE AN ORDERLY ARR SEQUENCE. THIS RPT WAS PROMPTED BY MY BEING QUESTIONED VIA TELEPHONE BY THE TWR OPERATOR 2 HRS LATER. THE THRUST OF HIS INQUIRY WAS AS TO WHEN HOU CENTER GAVE US THE HDOF TO TWR. HE INDICATED TO ME THAT THIS WAS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE. IT IS OUR COMPANY POLICY TO NOT CANCEL AN IFR FLT PLAN WHEN THE DEST HAS AN OPERATING CTL TWR, THEREFORE FOLLOWING THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE SOP FOR US. HOWEVER, THE ARR TO LRD WAS TOO HIGH, TOO UNCOORDINATED (ARTCC CTLR/TWR) AND A MUCH TOO LATE HDOF TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE SAFE, ORDERLY SEQUENCING OF ARRIVING ACFT.

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.

Corp jet flight crew complaint reference late transfer of ATC jurisdiction from ZHU to lrd tower. Corp aircraft well into air traffic area and in potential conflict with tower pattern traffic. Operational deviation.