Frequency abuse. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	284252
Time
Date	199409
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sfo
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller non radar : 6
ASRS Report	284252
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The subject aircraft landed runway 28R during the peak traffic period of the day (112 operations/hour) and was instructed to hold short of runway 28L on kilo. Arrs were very heavy, side by side (runways 28R/28L) and closely spaced. As a result subject aircraft held position while several aircraft landed and exited runway 28L. During this time some other aircraft (smaller, E120, B737) were taxied across runway 28L by the local controller. The subject aircraft could not be crossed due to spacing of the arrs on runway 28L and/or frequency congestion. There simply was not enough time for the local controller to issue instructions to all aircraft waiting to cross. The pilot of the subject aircraft then used the tower frequency to issue a rather long complaint about having to wait so long while other aircraft were allowed to cross. The local controller responded in equally long winded style! All this while very heavy traffic was landing, departing and transitioning in a very complex airport/airspace with absolutely minimum separation! Pilots and controllers must use the telephone for complaints/discussions -- not the radio. Pilots may give the controller a quick reminder that they are still waiting -- eg, 'tower, (call sign) still holding at (location).' inappropriate use of ATC frequency during heavy/complex traffic/workload can result in a serious compromise of safety.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FREQ ABUSE.

Narrative: THE SUBJECT ACFT LANDED RWY 28R DURING THE PEAK TFC PERIOD OF THE DAY (112 OPS/HR) AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28L ON KILO. ARRS WERE VERY HVY, SIDE BY SIDE (RWYS 28R/28L) AND CLOSELY SPACED. AS A RESULT SUBJECT ACFT HELD POS WHILE SEVERAL ACFT LANDED AND EXITED RWY 28L. DURING THIS TIME SOME OTHER ACFT (SMALLER, E120, B737) WERE TAXIED ACROSS RWY 28L BY THE LCL CTLR. THE SUBJECT ACFT COULD NOT BE CROSSED DUE TO SPACING OF THE ARRS ON RWY 28L AND/OR FREQ CONGESTION. THERE SIMPLY WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR THE LCL CTLR TO ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL ACFT WAITING TO CROSS. THE PLT OF THE SUBJECT ACFT THEN USED THE TWR FREQ TO ISSUE A RATHER LONG COMPLAINT ABOUT HAVING TO WAIT SO LONG WHILE OTHER ACFT WERE ALLOWED TO CROSS. THE LCL CTLR RESPONDED IN EQUALLY LONG WINDED STYLE! ALL THIS WHILE VERY HVY TFC WAS LNDG, DEPARTING AND TRANSITIONING IN A VERY COMPLEX ARPT/AIRSPACE WITH ABSOLUTELY MINIMUM SEPARATION! PLTS AND CTLRS MUST USE THE TELEPHONE FOR COMPLAINTS/DISCUSSIONS -- NOT THE RADIO. PLTS MAY GIVE THE CTLR A QUICK REMINDER THAT THEY ARE STILL WAITING -- EG, 'TWR, (CALL SIGN) STILL HOLDING AT (LOCATION).' INAPPROPRIATE USE OF ATC FREQ DURING HVY/COMPLEX TFC/WORKLOAD CAN RESULT IN A SERIOUS COMPROMISE OF SAFETY.

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.