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|
Attributes | |
ACN | 115430 |
Time | |
Date | 198906 |
Day | Thu |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : ric |
State Reference | VA |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tower : ric |
Operator | general aviation : corporate |
Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
Flight Phase | descent : approach other |
Flight Plan | None |
Aircraft 2 | |
Operator | other |
Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other other |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5100 |
ASRS Report | 115430 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | government : military |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
Events | |
Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action other other |
Consequence | Other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We (small transport X) were on a close-in right base to runway 34 and assigned by the tower to follow the small transport Y who was on short final to the same runway. Tower now decides to depart an airliner from this runway even though there are now 2 airplanes within 2 mi of the threshold. Tells the small transport Y to break off his approach and turn right heading 060. This of course is directly at us. Then tells us to enter the downwind for 34. We reply that we'd be happy to as soon as we get out of the way of the small transport Y that he just turned into us. I confess, I must have sounded a little bit short with him, but I had a windshield full of airplane at the time. Then he got belligerent, and saw he had us both in sight and knew how to control airplanes (something to that effect) and told us to fly a 160 heading for the downwind. We complied with the heading, having already been in the turn to miss the small transport Y the heading taking us through the final approach course so that we're now on a left downwind. Not to worry, as soon as he gets his airliner departed he gives us a right turn around to the runway. Not even a 'sorry about that'. This was a short trip for us, having departed washington national, but a familiar one that we do many times a week. This particular day I had done something that I (almost) never do. Departing dca the lady was working several frequencys, was clearly just up to her skirt in alligators and had had to vector us back and forth just to get us away from the airport. At the edge of the TCA I cancelled IFR to get us on course and to get out of her hair, though she continued to provide advisories. The long and the short of it is we were VFR going into richmond. Had we been IFR traffic for them maybe the whole incident would not even have occurred. Richmond has a continuing mindset, however, that they will delay all other traffic to avoid even a vector for airline traffic. I have heard this from numerous other operators and experience it myself every week. My boss had the following comment disembarking: 'you took years off my life today -- I don't like it when I can see the whites of their eyes'. Amen.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CORPORATE SMT HAS AIRBORNE CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER SMT WHILE IN TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR LNDG.
Narrative: WE (SMT X) WERE ON A CLOSE-IN RIGHT BASE TO RWY 34 AND ASSIGNED BY THE TWR TO FOLLOW THE SMT Y WHO WAS ON SHORT FINAL TO THE SAME RWY. TWR NOW DECIDES TO DEPART AN AIRLINER FROM THIS RWY EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NOW 2 AIRPLANES WITHIN 2 MI OF THE THRESHOLD. TELLS THE SMT Y TO BREAK OFF HIS APCH AND TURN RIGHT HDG 060. THIS OF COURSE IS DIRECTLY AT US. THEN TELLS US TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND FOR 34. WE REPLY THAT WE'D BE HAPPY TO AS SOON AS WE GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE SMT Y THAT HE JUST TURNED INTO US. I CONFESS, I MUST HAVE SOUNDED A LITTLE BIT SHORT WITH HIM, BUT I HAD A WINDSHIELD FULL OF AIRPLANE AT THE TIME. THEN HE GOT BELLIGERENT, AND SAW HE HAD US BOTH IN SIGHT AND KNEW HOW TO CONTROL AIRPLANES (SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT) AND TOLD US TO FLY A 160 HDG FOR THE DOWNWIND. WE COMPLIED WITH THE HDG, HAVING ALREADY BEEN IN THE TURN TO MISS THE SMT Y THE HDG TAKING US THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE SO THAT WE'RE NOW ON A LEFT DOWNWIND. NOT TO WORRY, AS SOON AS HE GETS HIS AIRLINER DEPARTED HE GIVES US A RIGHT TURN AROUND TO THE RWY. NOT EVEN A 'SORRY ABOUT THAT'. THIS WAS A SHORT TRIP FOR US, HAVING DEPARTED WASHINGTON NATIONAL, BUT A FAMILIAR ONE THAT WE DO MANY TIMES A WEEK. THIS PARTICULAR DAY I HAD DONE SOMETHING THAT I (ALMOST) NEVER DO. DEPARTING DCA THE LADY WAS WORKING SEVERAL FREQS, WAS CLEARLY JUST UP TO HER SKIRT IN ALLIGATORS AND HAD HAD TO VECTOR US BACK AND FORTH JUST TO GET US AWAY FROM THE ARPT. AT THE EDGE OF THE TCA I CANCELLED IFR TO GET US ON COURSE AND TO GET OUT OF HER HAIR, THOUGH SHE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ADVISORIES. THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT IS WE WERE VFR GOING INTO RICHMOND. HAD WE BEEN IFR TFC FOR THEM MAYBE THE WHOLE INCIDENT WOULD NOT EVEN HAVE OCCURRED. RICHMOND HAS A CONTINUING MINDSET, HOWEVER, THAT THEY WILL DELAY ALL OTHER TFC TO AVOID EVEN A VECTOR FOR AIRLINE TFC. I HAVE HEARD THIS FROM NUMEROUS OTHER OPERATORS AND EXPERIENCE IT MYSELF EVERY WEEK. MY BOSS HAD THE FOLLOWING COMMENT DISEMBARKING: 'YOU TOOK YEARS OFF MY LIFE TODAY -- I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN I CAN SEE THE WHITES OF THEIR EYES'. AMEN.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.