<< >> NASA ASRS Report 157306, September 1990

Reporter complains of ambiguous clrncs issued a mci during IMC conditions, and that flight crew did not know which runway was being used for approach. Problem of 19 or 09.

Attributes
ACN	157306
Time
Date	199009
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mci
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6342
ASRS Report	157306
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

ATIS was reporting ILS approachs to runway 19 and runway 9. We understood the controller to say ILS approach to 19. Final controller gave us a vector to heading 090 degrees, cleared for ILS runway 9. Question was raised as to which approach was to be used. Additional vectors were required to become established on ILS runway 9. WX at mci was 1600' overcast and 6 mi with light rain. No evasive action was required. A possible contributing factor was that simultaneous approachs to ILS runway 9 and ILS runway 19. Confusion may have come from both runways in use had the digit '9.' tower supervisor later explained the confusion had happened 3 times in the past 24 hours. A possible suggestion to reduce confusion would be if simultaneous approachs to runways with similar sounding #south such as 19 and 9 to use '1-niner' and '0-niner.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER COMPLAINS OF AMBIGUOUS CLRNCS ISSUED A MCI DURING IMC CONDITIONS, AND THAT FLT CREW DID NOT KNOW WHICH RWY WAS BEING USED FOR APCH. PROBLEM OF 19 OR 09.

Narrative: ATIS WAS RPTING ILS APCHS TO RWY 19 AND RWY 9. WE UNDERSTOOD THE CTLR TO SAY ILS APCH TO 19. FINAL CTLR GAVE US A VECTOR TO HDG 090 DEGS, CLRED FOR ILS RWY 9. QUESTION WAS RAISED AS TO WHICH APCH WAS TO BE USED. ADDITIONAL VECTORS WERE REQUIRED TO BECOME ESTABLISHED ON ILS RWY 9. WX AT MCI WAS 1600' OVCST AND 6 MI WITH LIGHT RAIN. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED. A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT SIMULTANEOUS APCHS TO ILS RWY 9 AND ILS RWY 19. CONFUSION MAY HAVE COME FROM BOTH RWYS IN USE HAD THE DIGIT '9.' TWR SUPVR LATER EXPLAINED THE CONFUSION HAD HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 24 HRS. A POSSIBLE SUGGESTION TO REDUCE CONFUSION WOULD BE IF SIMULTANEOUS APCHS TO RWYS WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING #S SUCH AS 19 AND 9 TO USE '1-NINER' AND '0-NINER.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.