Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Airspace Structure; Procedure; Human Factors
SUN is an accident waiting to happen; and ATC will be responsible when it does.  Due to terrain; SUN lands on Runway 31 and departs Runway 13.  The approach/departure path goes out through a narrow valley; with very little room to avoid opposite direction traffic.  Nevertheless; the tower at SUN thinks it's just fine to launch multiple aircraft at arrivals and hope for the best.  The published instruction for departures to hug one side of the valley while arrivals are on the other side is total nonsense.  The valley is NOT wide enough for traffic deconfliction.  We experienced an RA as we were turning final today; with outbound traffic.  Due to being held high on the arrival and then cleared for a visual approach; we were task-saturated and then had not one; but TWO departures to try to spot and avoid.  As we turned final; we were watching the first outbound aircraft on TCAS; and felt that we would not have a conflict.  Nevertheless; we got a DESCEND RA in the turn.  When IFR traffic is inbound to SUN; given the severe terrain restrictions; the tower should not launch departures unless the inbound is established on the final course.  Doing so with an aircraft in a turn to final risks a catastrophic traffic conflict.  As in our case; the outbound traffic is very hard to visually acquire and avoid. SUN ATC needs to take a hard look at their lax traffic management practices and make some major changes before they result in a mid-air collision.
Air carrier First Officer reported concerns with SUN Tower opposite direction procedures resulting in traffic conflicts.