<< >> NASA ASRS Report 191225, October 1991

Air carrier first officer reports poor radio communication technique by ATCT ground controller then aggravates the situation by mouthing off.

Attributes
ACN	191225
Time
Date	199110
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
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	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	191225
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Ground controller was in an abusive mood. He had made several rude comments to other aircraft. He instructed our flight to follow an air carrier medium large transport. Before I could respond, another aircraft transmitted a request. Immediately following that transmission, the controller started chewing on me about not acknowledging. That totally ticked me off! It caused me to lose my cool! I said to the controller 'if you'd shut up long enough to let me acknowledge...' words to that effect. The human factor involved here is stress. The controller was definitely 'stressed' based on the demeanor he projected over the air. I was about to comment to my crew about his stress level when I lost my cool. I attribute losing my cool to stress, although I feel I manage my stress fairly well. In looking back on the situation, instead of yelling back, I could have told him politely to take a hike and come back when you feel up to doing your job in a professional manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO RPTS POOR RADIO COM TECHNIQUE BY ATCT GND CTLR THEN AGGRAVATES THE SITUATION BY MOUTHING OFF.

Narrative: GND CTLR WAS IN AN ABUSIVE MOOD. HE HAD MADE SEVERAL RUDE COMMENTS TO OTHER ACFT. HE INSTRUCTED OUR FLT TO FOLLOW AN ACR MLG. BEFORE I COULD RESPOND, ANOTHER ACFT XMITTED A REQUEST. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT XMISSION, THE CTLR STARTED CHEWING ON ME ABOUT NOT ACKNOWLEDGING. THAT TOTALLY TICKED ME OFF! IT CAUSED ME TO LOSE MY COOL! I SAID TO THE CTLR 'IF YOU'D SHUT UP LONG ENOUGH TO LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE...' WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. THE HUMAN FACTOR INVOLVED HERE IS STRESS. THE CTLR WAS DEFINITELY 'STRESSED' BASED ON THE DEMEANOR HE PROJECTED OVER THE AIR. I WAS ABOUT TO COMMENT TO MY CREW ABOUT HIS STRESS LEVEL WHEN I LOST MY COOL. I ATTRIBUTE LOSING MY COOL TO STRESS, ALTHOUGH I FEEL I MANAGE MY STRESS FAIRLY WELL. IN LOOKING BACK ON THE SITUATION, INSTEAD OF YELLING BACK, I COULD HAVE TOLD HIM POLITELY TO TAKE A HIKE AND COME BACK WHEN YOU FEEL UP TO DOING YOUR JOB IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER.

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.