Citation X (C750)
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
I was working RADAR and had Citation X descending into the SEF airport. The pilot was approximately 10-12 miles away from the airport and reported that he had the field in sight. I cleared the aircraft for a visual approach. Just after I issued the clearance; I terminated RADAR service and cleared him to the airport advisory frequency. I thought the aircraft was close enough to the field to proceed straight in and land. Instead the aircraft took a hard left turn which I was not expecting; presumably to set up for landing on whichever runway he was using. This hard left turn put the aircraft into the proximity of R2901A which was active surface to 070. I'm not sure how close he got to it; or even if there was an official violation of the airspace; but it was nonetheless unsafe in my opinion. I tried several times to raise the aircraft on my frequency; but was unsuccessful due to either the aircraft's low altitude or just being on the UNICOM frequency and not monitoring mine. There are several things that I would recommend to help avoid this situation. First the pilot should have been advised the status of the airspace; and could have taken measures to avoid it. Usually I do advise aircraft going into this airport when the airspace is hot; but I didn't in this situation because I didn't feel the pilot would maneuver the way that he did. It is uncommon for pilots to take such a radical turn on approach; but if he had been so advised it may not have happened. Second I could have waited a few more miles to let the pilot change frequencies. This could have led me to be in communications with the pilot when I noticed the abrupt vector. However this second option is not guaranteed; as the pilot's low altitude severely limits the range of my radios and we tend to like to let them do the approach early; so we know they can hear the approach clearance. The third and final thing I can think of is to use the only approach we have that will clear R2901; but this is also not always practical because it requires the planes to come to the South and set up a GPS.
ZMA Controller described a Restricted Airspace incursion when an aircraft cleared for a visual approach to SEF varied from the expected flight path to the airport.