Class D Bust

Jason spent 24 years as an air traffic controller at Los Angeles Center, and recently moved east to work in DC in the Airspace office as an air traffic subject matter expert. He is a Sport Pilot, owns a Rans S12XL E-LSA, and got his >87 knot endorsement so he can rent a C162. He's here to answer your questions about ATC procedures and rules, in a strictly unofficial capacity.

Moderators: drseti, Flim63

Flocker
Posts: 635
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Atlanta GA; Home Airport: PDK

Class D Bust

Post by Flocker »

Had an interesting experience last weekend flying into a Class-D airport [KPDK>KAHN]

Arriving from the west with winds out of the west, my first contact with Athens Tower was to "enter left downwind for 27."
Immediately after that, the tower repeatedly tries to contact an aircraft south of the field on a due north heading. No Joy.
The tower advises me of the traffic and tells me they are not in contact with the aircraft. I announce "traffic in sight" as he passes in front of me about 1 mile ahead at pattern altitude.
The tower then asks me to try and get a tail number.
I could tell it was a Mooney but it was traveling must faster than me (I'm in a 162) and he was still a mile or so in front of me. While my focus remained setting up for landing, he passes through the airspace and exits to the north with no tower contact whatsoever.

My question is: Is this guy going to get off "scott free?" He clearly busted a Class-D and disrupted the traffic pattern as well. (Before he passed in front of me, they asked me to set up for a left base for runway 2)

Has anyone else experienced something like this?
Aviation Real Estate Broker
MovingOn
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 5:34 pm

Re: Class D Bust

Post by MovingOn »

.......
Last edited by MovingOn on Mon Aug 18, 2014 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
MrMorden
Posts: 2184
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:28 am
Location: Athens, GA

Re: Class D Bust

Post by MrMorden »

Hey Flocker, that was you?!?

We were running a Young Eagles event at AHN when all that happened. It sounded from the ground like the other plane (Cessna 340) blundered through the class D without contacting anybody. The tower finally got him, and he said he just wanted to overfly the field. Tower said negative, make left base for 27. Pilot gets pissy about it, then gets behind Flocker and nearly runs him over. Tower calls a go around for the twin, pilot gets even more pissy. Tower gave him a number to call. :?

The plane was on the ground about 45 minutes, then he was off again.


Again, not sure if this is what happened, this is what all the EAA guys on the ground pieced together. I did hear the call for airplanes in the area to try to get his number, one of our pilots landed later and said "F that, I'm not getting near that guy."
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
3Dreaming
Posts: 3107
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: noble, IL USA

Re: Class D Bust

Post by 3Dreaming »

MovingOn wrote:I have no idea, but I suspect they will have ATC follow him to his destination or at least until they can get an ID on him. I'm thinking he can expect to hear from the FAA.
Don't you fly a Mooney sometimes? <joke>
Flocker
Posts: 635
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Atlanta GA; Home Airport: PDK

Re: Class D Bust

Post by Flocker »

MrMorden wrote:Hey Flocker, that was you?!?

We were running a Young Eagles event at AHN when all that happened.
Yeah, that was me in the 162. I saw the YE event going on. Had no idea you were there. Where was your CT?
Aviation Real Estate Broker
Flocker
Posts: 635
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Atlanta GA; Home Airport: PDK

Re: Class D Bust

Post by Flocker »

MrMorden wrote:It sounded from the ground like the other plane (Cessna 340) blundered through the class D without contacting anybody. The tower finally got him, and he said he just wanted to overfly the field. Tower said negative, make left base for 27. Pilot gets pissy about it, then gets behind Flocker and nearly runs him over. Tower calls a go around for the twin, pilot gets even more pissy. Tower gave him a number to call. :?

The plane was on the ground about 45 minutes, then he was off again.

Again, not sure if this is what happened, this is what all the EAA guys on the ground pieced together. I did hear the call for airplanes in the area to try to get his number, one of our pilots landed later and said "F that, I'm not getting near that guy."
You are correct about the Cessna. They asked to overfly which Tower denied. Tower told them to enter left downwind for 27. Cessna says "how are we supposed to do that without overflying the field?" (reasonable question - they were north of the field) Tower corrects and asks them to enter right downwind for 27. I lost sight of the Cessna until I saw him executing the go-around directly overhead. (I had landed on runway 2 and was crossing 27 to exit on B3 (first available taxiway) when the tower told him to go-around. The Cessna obviously didn't see me)

The Mooney was a separate issue all together. He came from the south transitioned to the north at or near pattern altitude and never spoke to anyone.
Aviation Real Estate Broker
User avatar
MrMorden
Posts: 2184
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:28 am
Location: Athens, GA

Re: Class D Bust

Post by MrMorden »

Flocker wrote:
MrMorden wrote:Hey Flocker, that was you?!?

We were running a Young Eagles event at AHN when all that happened.
Yeah, that was me in the 162. I saw the YE event going on. Had no idea you were there. Where was your CT?
The CT was in the hangar in pieces, I had to get the autopilot pitch servo reinstalled later that afternoon. Back flying now (if the weather will let me!).
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
User avatar
MrMorden
Posts: 2184
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:28 am
Location: Athens, GA

Re: Class D Bust

Post by MrMorden »

Flocker wrote:
MrMorden wrote:It sounded from the ground like the other plane (Cessna 340) blundered through the class D without contacting anybody. The tower finally got him, and he said he just wanted to overfly the field. Tower said negative, make left base for 27. Pilot gets pissy about it, then gets behind Flocker and nearly runs him over. Tower calls a go around for the twin, pilot gets even more pissy. Tower gave him a number to call. :?

The plane was on the ground about 45 minutes, then he was off again.

Again, not sure if this is what happened, this is what all the EAA guys on the ground pieced together. I did hear the call for airplanes in the area to try to get his number, one of our pilots landed later and said "F that, I'm not getting near that guy."
You are correct about the Cessna. They asked to overfly which Tower denied. Tower told them to enter left downwind for 27. Cessna says "how are we supposed to do that without overflying the field?" (reasonable question - they were north of the field) Tower corrects and asks them to enter right downwind for 27. I lost sight of the Cessna until I saw him executing the go-around directly overhead. (I had landed on runway 2 and was crossing 27 to exit on B3 (first available taxiway) when the tower told him to go-around. The Cessna obviously didn't see me)

The Mooney was a separate issue all together. He came from the south transitioned to the north at or near pattern altitude and never spoke to anyone.
Ah...folks on the ground only heard snippets, we assumed the silent Mooney and the annoyed twin were the same airplane. :)
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
MovingOn
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 5:34 pm

Re: Class D Bust

Post by MovingOn »

.......
Last edited by MovingOn on Mon Aug 18, 2014 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
3Dreaming
Posts: 3107
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: noble, IL USA

Re: Class D Bust

Post by 3Dreaming »

MovingOn wrote:
3Dreaming wrote:
MovingOn wrote:I have no idea, but I suspect they will have ATC follow him to his destination or at least until they can get an ID on him. I'm thinking he can expect to hear from the FAA.
Don't you fly a Mooney sometimes? <joke>
I did until 8 years ago when I had a medical. Now, I just fly with my friend in his. We're going Friday to pick it up at the paint shop with a brand new total paint job. Implicating someone in an FAA violation is no joking matter.
I put the <joke> hoping you would not take it the wrong way, I guess it didn't work. There was no implication intended by me toward you saying that you violated any CFR.
MovingOn
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 5:34 pm

Re: Class D Bust

Post by MovingOn »

.......
Last edited by MovingOn on Mon Aug 18, 2014 9:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
FastEddieB
Posts: 2880
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:33 pm
Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA

Re: Class D Bust

Post by FastEddieB »

I got the joke.
Fast Eddie B.
Sky Arrow 600 E-LSA • N467SA
CFI, CFII, CFIME
[email protected]
MovingOn
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 5:34 pm

Re: Class D Bust

Post by MovingOn »

.......
Last edited by MovingOn on Mon Aug 18, 2014 9:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Merlinspop
Posts: 999
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:48 pm
Location: WV Eastern Panhandle

Re: Class D Bust

Post by Merlinspop »

I'd love to see a picture of a freshly painted M20C. Does it have a lot of mods? Cowl, windshields, wing tips?
- Bruce
MovingOn
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 5:34 pm

Re: Class D Bust

Post by MovingOn »

.......
Last edited by MovingOn on Mon Aug 18, 2014 9:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Post Reply