Narrative:

Problem: ATC controller's introducing extraneous distrs at a critical moment of flight. Situation: a widebody transport freighter is at the point of rotation, at maximum gross weight, on a length limited/weight limited runway, in a noise sensitive environment, and all power parameters are at maximum. As the wheels break ground the tower controller offers comments re a possible 100' error in our transponder altitude encoding. At this very critical moment of flight such trivial information constitutes an unnecessary distraction. Discussion: many visits to ATC facs and personal acquaintances with controllers leads me to conclude that ATC controllers have little appreciation of the range of aircraft performance capabilities within its performance envelope. All too often they assume all takeoff and lndgs are generically similar for aircraft type. In reality the larger the aircraft the wider and more critical the limits of the performance envelope. In a related vain controllers require verbal responses to non critical instructions during rollout when braking and engine reverse operations may be critical. Again all engines are not the same and some require very delicate handling during reversing. Suggestion: limit air/ground communications during the liftoff and rollout regime of flight to necessary calls only. ATC controller recurrent training should include a discussion (familiarization nature) of aircraft performance characteristics by a knowledgeable authority. Familiarization flts could do the same but too often they serve to provide the controller with cost-free transportation for family holidays.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER CRITICAL OF CTLRS WHO TRANSMIT MESSAGES, DIRECTIONS, ETC DURING TKOF, LNDG AND ROLLOUT.

Narrative: PROBLEM: ATC CTLR'S INTRODUCING EXTRANEOUS DISTRS AT A CRITICAL MOMENT OF FLT. SITUATION: A WDB FREIGHTER IS AT THE POINT OF ROTATION, AT MAX GROSS WT, ON A LENGTH LIMITED/WEIGHT LIMITED RWY, IN A NOISE SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND ALL POWER PARAMETERS ARE AT MAX. AS THE WHEELS BREAK GND THE TWR CTLR OFFERS COMMENTS RE A POSSIBLE 100' ERROR IN OUR XPONDER ALT ENCODING. AT THIS VERY CRITICAL MOMENT OF FLT SUCH TRIVIAL INFO CONSTITUTES AN UNNECESSARY DISTR. DISCUSSION: MANY VISITS TO ATC FACS AND PERSONAL ACQUAINTANCES WITH CTLRS LEADS ME TO CONCLUDE THAT ATC CTLRS HAVE LITTLE APPRECIATION OF THE RANGE OF ACFT PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES WITHIN ITS PERFORMANCE ENVELOPE. ALL TOO OFTEN THEY ASSUME ALL TKOF AND LNDGS ARE GENERICALLY SIMILAR FOR ACFT TYPE. IN REALITY THE LARGER THE ACFT THE WIDER AND MORE CRITICAL THE LIMITS OF THE PERFORMANCE ENVELOPE. IN A RELATED VAIN CTLRS REQUIRE VERBAL RESPONSES TO NON CRITICAL INSTRUCTIONS DURING ROLLOUT WHEN BRAKING AND ENGINE REVERSE OPERATIONS MAY BE CRITICAL. AGAIN ALL ENGINES ARE NOT THE SAME AND SOME REQUIRE VERY DELICATE HANDLING DURING REVERSING. SUGGESTION: LIMIT AIR/GND COMS DURING THE LIFTOFF AND ROLLOUT REGIME OF FLT TO NECESSARY CALLS ONLY. ATC CTLR RECURRENT TRAINING SHOULD INCLUDE A DISCUSSION (FAMILIARIZATION NATURE) OF ACFT PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS BY A KNOWLEDGEABLE AUTHORITY. FAMILIARIZATION FLTS COULD DO THE SAME BUT TOO OFTEN THEY SERVE TO PROVIDE THE CTLR WITH COST-FREE TRANSPORTATION FOR FAMILY HOLIDAYS.

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.