 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Tower local controller cleared two flts into the same runway for takeoff. Supervisor untangled the situation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 118770 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198907 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sjc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 118770 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Holding short for takeoff on taxiway a at sjc we flight XXX were cleared 'position and hold runway 30L...be prepared for immediate departure, xxy 3 mi final.' I rogered 'XXX position and hold.' as we were pulling on the runway, the tower controller cleared an xxz holding short on taxiway B on the opposite side of the runway to position and hold be ready for immediate departure. As we watched the xxz pull onto the runway in front of us, the tower controller in a very confused tone told us XXX to hold our position, which by this time was well onto the runway. Next, a new voice (a supervisor, I think) came on and directed the xxy to go around. Then he cleared the xxz for takeoff. After the xxz departed, the original controller directed us XXX to taxi up to taxiway B, turn right and switch to ground, but as we taxied forward, the supervisor (I believe) came on and cleared us for immediate takeoff. We applied takeoff power on the roll and departed. The whole fiasco occurred, in my opinion, because the tower controller was very busy, and he wanted the Z to depart prior to the Y landing, but when his mouth engaged, our call sign X came out by mistake. The tower workload at sjc is rapidly becoming unmanageable. There is simply too much traffic for that little airport to handle at certain peak hours of the day. I expect to see more mistakes of this sort occur at sjc in the future as the airport is further saturated.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TWR LCL CTLR CLEARED TWO FLTS INTO THE SAME RWY FOR TKOF. SUPVR UNTANGLED THE SITUATION.
Narrative: HOLDING SHORT FOR TKOF ON TXWY A AT SJC WE FLT XXX WERE CLRED 'POSITION AND HOLD RWY 30L...BE PREPARED FOR IMMEDIATE DEP, XXY 3 MI FINAL.' I ROGERED 'XXX POSITION AND HOLD.' AS WE WERE PULLING ON THE RWY, THE TWR CTLR CLRED AN XXZ HOLDING SHORT ON TXWY B ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE RWY TO POSITION AND HOLD BE READY FOR IMMEDIATE DEP. AS WE WATCHED THE XXZ PULL ONTO THE RWY IN FRONT OF US, THE TWR CTLR IN A VERY CONFUSED TONE TOLD US XXX TO HOLD OUR POSITION, WHICH BY THIS TIME WAS WELL ONTO THE RWY. NEXT, A NEW VOICE (A SUPVR, I THINK) CAME ON AND DIRECTED THE XXY TO GO AROUND. THEN HE CLRED THE XXZ FOR TKOF. AFTER THE XXZ DEPARTED, THE ORIGINAL CTLR DIRECTED US XXX TO TAXI UP TO TXWY B, TURN RIGHT AND SWITCH TO GND, BUT AS WE TAXIED FORWARD, THE SUPVR (I BELIEVE) CAME ON AND CLRED US FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF. WE APPLIED TKOF POWER ON THE ROLL AND DEPARTED. THE WHOLE FIASCO OCCURRED, IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE THE TWR CTLR WAS VERY BUSY, AND HE WANTED THE Z TO DEPART PRIOR TO THE Y LNDG, BUT WHEN HIS MOUTH ENGAGED, OUR CALL SIGN X CAME OUT BY MISTAKE. THE TWR WORKLOAD AT SJC IS RAPIDLY BECOMING UNMANAGEABLE. THERE IS SIMPLY TOO MUCH TFC FOR THAT LITTLE ARPT TO HANDLE AT CERTAIN PEAK HRS OF THE DAY. I EXPECT TO SEE MORE MISTAKES OF THIS SORT OCCUR AT SJC IN THE FUTURE AS THE ARPT IS FURTHER SATURATED.
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.