Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 5.0
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Airport; Manuals
When we plugged in Aircraft X was already on approach and another aircraft was orbiting about 7 miles north of BLH waiting for Aircraft X to finish the approach to continue parachute operations. A few minutes later the Supervisor walks over holding the phone and asking us to give Aircraft X a vector because 'Tower wasn't going to take him.' I had heard rumors that there was a Tower operating there; and that there had been an incident the day before where someone; not this facility; had broken off another [carrier aircraft] on approach and issued vectors below the minimum IFR altitude. So; when the Supervisor demanded for us to give a control instruction to [aircraft] I was initially confused as to why. The other aircraft was waiting for the approach to conclude and there was no other observed traffic in the area. I was never briefed that there was a facility operating at BLH; there was no Letter of Agreement; nothing. So; I under duress; and since the Supervisor was standing behind me demanding for me to 'give him something because Tower wasn't taking him' told my trainee to have '[Aircraft X] continue on the radials of the approach climb to and maintain 6;000 feet; upon reaching 6;000 feet direct...and hold as published.' When Aircraft X was holding at the fix after the trainee identified him and gave him a clearance to his next airport; I keyed up and advised the pilot that what had just occurred had been done by an unsanctioned facility and urged the pilot to call the Center and FSDO to file a report. My transmitting the advisory to Aircraft X was done out of concern for [aircraft]'s safety; as well as the safety of anyone else IFR or VFR landing at that airport. Brief the controllers if a new facility is operating in our airspace. Have a Letter of Agreement in place before operations commence.
ZLA Center Controller reported they were told by a Supervisor the Tower would not accept an aircraft on approach. The Controller was not aware of a Control Tower operating at this airport.