MD-11
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure; Human Factors
I was working NR sector when a MD11 was on final to Runway 7R. There was OJT being conducted at SR. The SR Controller stated that it appeared that the MD11 was below the MVA and glidepath on final for Runway 7R and yelled over to the FW Controller. FW stated that the MD11 was on Tower Frequency. We both keyed up to Local Control via landline and told Local Control that the MD11 was too low. The Local Controller simply issued the altimeter setting to the MD11. The SR Controller told the Local Controller to issue a 'low altitude alert.' The Local Controller still did not issue a low altitude alert. The MD11 altitude dropped to 800 FT on a 4 mile final. There are several large wind turbines near by. The MD11 was in close proximity to the ground on an instrument approach and was not issue a low altitude alert. There was no management present in either the TRACON or Tower operation. It is outrageous that the Tower Controller failed to recognize that the MD11 was at an unsafe altitude and worse yet could not/did not issue the low altitude alert even after being prompted to do so by another sector on the land line. Remedial Training for the ATCS on local and Performance Management Training program revisit alerts and controller responsibility on how/when to issue them. Mandatory assignment of FLM's to the operation for specific time frames.
TRACON Controller described an unsafe event when the Tower Controller failed to issue a 'Low Altitude Alert' even after being promted by fellow controllers.