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Captain of commuter disagreed with tower controller's plan and insisted on a left 360 to avoid an medium large transport on final.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 196532 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199112 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : abe |
| State Reference | PA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : abe |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 196532 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
After being cleared for a visual approach to runway 24 at abe the captain contacted the tower. Tower told us we were #2 following an small aircraft Y on a right downwind. We told tower we had the small aircraft Y in sight. Then later in the approach tower said that we would now follow an air carrier medium large transport on a right base to 24, and that he would call our base turn. A few seconds later he told us to turn base. After turning base the medium large transport was now about 2 O'clock 4 mi on a right base turning final and descending rapidly. Tower then told us that the medium large transport would now follow us. 1 problem the medium large transport crew did not have us in sight. My thinking was that we would continue on left base (under the medium large transport) then circle 270 degree to the right and follow the medium large transport in (which would have been the quickest way out of the medium large transport's flight path). My captain told me to turn left and he simultaneously asked tower for a 360 to the left. He then asked me to turn left again, I complied. (When captain read back the 360 left turn clearance back to tower he added an obscene word, completely in error). It's my feeling that I or the captain one of us should have told tower that this clearance won't work we are breaking approach off to follow the medium large transport. Quicker actions by everyone would have prevented the situation completely.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF COMMUTER DISAGREED WITH TWR CTLR'S PLAN AND INSISTED ON A L 360 TO AVOID AN MLG ON FINAL.
Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24 AT ABE THE CAPT CONTACTED THE TWR. TWR TOLD US WE WERE #2 FOLLOWING AN SMA Y ON A R DOWNWIND. WE TOLD TWR WE HAD THE SMA Y IN SIGHT. THEN LATER IN THE APCH TWR SAID THAT WE WOULD NOW FOLLOW AN AIR CARRIER MLG ON A R BASE TO 24, AND THAT HE WOULD CALL OUR BASE TURN. A FEW SECONDS LATER HE TOLD US TO TURN BASE. AFTER TURNING BASE THE MLG WAS NOW ABOUT 2 O'CLOCK 4 MI ON A R BASE TURNING FINAL AND DSNDING RAPIDLY. TWR THEN TOLD US THAT THE MLG WOULD NOW FOLLOW US. 1 PROBLEM THE MLG CREW DID NOT HAVE US IN SIGHT. MY THINKING WAS THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE ON L BASE (UNDER THE MLG) THEN CIRCLE 270 DEG TO THE R AND FOLLOW THE MLG IN (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE QUICKEST WAY OUT OF THE MLG'S FLT PATH). MY CAPT TOLD ME TO TURN L AND HE SIMULTANEOUSLY ASKED TWR FOR A 360 TO THE L. HE THEN ASKED ME TO TURN L AGAIN, I COMPLIED. (WHEN CAPT READ BACK THE 360 L TURN CLRNC BACK TO TWR HE ADDED AN OBSCENE WORD, COMPLETELY IN ERROR). IT'S MY FEELING THAT I OR THE CAPT ONE OF US SHOULD HAVE TOLD TWR THAT THIS CLRNC WON'T WORK WE ARE BREAKING APCH OFF TO FOLLOW THE MLG. QUICKER ACTIONS BY EVERYONE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE SITUATION COMPLETELY.
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.