Northern California TRACON

{{Short description|Air traffic contril center in Mather, CA}}

{{more references|date=September 2010}}

{{Infobox organization

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| location_city = Mather, California

| location_country = USA

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Northern California TRACON (NCT, radio communications: NorCal, NorCal Approach and NorCal Departure) is a terminal radar approach control (TRACON) facility in Mather, California, that serves the Northern California region. It is a unit of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is an air traffic control facility that provides safety alerts, separation, and sequencing of air traffic arriving, departing, and transiting the airspace and airports in Northern California. NCT controls airspace over {{convert|19000|sqmi|km2}},{{cite news |last1=Comstock |first1=Nicole |title=TRACON Center in Rancho Cordova Manages 20,000 Square Miles of Airspace |url=https://fox40.com/2014/09/02/tracon-center-in-rancho-cordova-manages-20000-square-miles-of-airspace/ |accessdate=29 September 2018 |publisher=FOX40 |date=3 September 2014}} and serves San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, San Jose International Airport, Reno International Airport, Sacramento International Airport, plus 19 other smaller airports with airport traffic control towers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/nextgen_near_you/community_involvement/sql/media/sql_fact_sheet.pdf|title=Federal Aviation Administration FACT SHEET for San Carlos Airport (SQL)|access-date=29 December 2017}} NCT is the 3rd busiest TRACON in the US.{{Cite web |last=Federal Aviation Administration |title=Air Route Traffic System (ATADS) |url=https://aspm.faa.gov/opsnet/sys/Center.asp |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=Air Route Traffic System (ATADS)}} In 2024, NCT handled 1,522,806, almost as many as Oakland Center. NorCal TRACON is the step between local control and an Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), in this case, Oakland Center. San Francisco International Airport is the second largest airport in California and the largest airport serving Northern California.

When an arriving aircraft nears the Bay Area, Oakland Center advises it to contact NorCal TRACON. TRACON gives the arrival a descent profile and other landing aid clearances. During busy times, TRACON often has to hold aircraft in the air. After TRACON sets up the flight for an approach to landing, the flight contacts the air traffic control tower at the arrival airport for landing clearance.