ATC/Pilot responsibilties for Cold Weather Ops
I am an air traffic controller in Burlington, Vermont. I have been pushing an issue with the FAA for over a decade that could someday have a devastating effect on some poor flight crew. Cold Weather Altimeter Errors.
At BTV we have an ILS approach to RY33 that starts approx 35 miles away(the transition). When BTV approach is open(5am-midnight) we vector to about an 18 mile final. When we close, Boston Center has the acft do the long transition.
Here is the problem. The USA does NOT have cold weather MVA/MIA/MEA charts for its' controllers. Canada does.
Vermont can have some very cold temperatures. In fact, for the next few days, we are expecting -30C.
The ILS 33 approach has step-down fixes/altitudes until glideslope intercept at approx 9 miles. The problem is the 3rd highest mountain in Vermont on a 14 mile final. The mountain is about 1/2 mile right of course and is 4088' high. The altitude a pilot can be at that point is 4800". During -20C and below, acft are actually at or below the peak just hundreds of yards right of course. In the years since the ILS33 was commissioned, myself and another controller took it upon ourselves to prevent a disaster. We got the facility to make the minimum crossing altitude over the mountain to be 6000' during -20C or lower. We have had no close calls as a result. Just a week ago, the transition became effective and now Boston Center is not using our stopgap measure and this approach is dangerous once again. I am using all avenues to get this corrected and would appreciate any knowledge of any incidents involving cold weather altimeter errrors.
Jeff