Narrative:

Takeoff runway 30L aus at XA36 CST. At 300 ft AGL turned right to 315 degrees to intercept aus 290 degree radial. After flaps up, and slat retract at 1500 ft AGL, tower yelled, 'our call sign, turn to heading 230 degrees.' the urgency and high volume of the command, I immediately started into a 30 degree angle bank to the left. Directly in front, and slightly below (about 1 mi), zoomed another airlines 737. A split second thought flashed through my mind: 'we're turning in the wrong direction.' the next split second thought was, 'I don't know why the tower told us to turn left, as there are other runways in austin,' and kept up my left turn. The TCASII went off (amber TA) 'traffic, traffic.' I was too busy hand flying the plane and looking out the cockpit window to really determine if the traffic was above or below, so kept everything the same. No more TCASII warnings went off (TA or RA). The tower operator then yelled, 'another airline XXX? Abort! Abort your takeoff!' again he said, 'another airline XXX? Abort your takeoff and clear the runway (30L).' the tower then blurted out, 'I forgot that I cleared your company aircraft to land on runway 12R (same runway).' now, we think the first another airline's 737 dove under us, and lined up to land. Head on to the second another airline's 737 who had been cleared for takeoff. There were no further radio xmissions by anyone! An older, calmer, and experienced tower voice then cleared us, 'turn to heading 320 degrees and intercept the aus 290 degree radial, switch to departure frequency XXX.yy.' this only the latest fiasco we've seen another airline's airline be involved in. Crosswind takeoffs and lndgs, tailwind takeoffs and lndgs, hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Their corporate and pilot pay/speed incentives are going to cause a major accident very soon. They are riding on the knife edge of safe airline operations. Possible tower operator training, letting a plane land against the duty runway takeoff flow, and not sending this first offending aircraft on a non conflict heading and climb made for a 3-PLANE riasco. It all happened very fast, with little margin for alternate actions. The tower was at fault.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT. ACR GETS A FRANTIC HDG CHANGE FROM A CTLR WHO FORGOT THAT ANOTHER AIRLINER WAS INBOUND TO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. OPERROR.

Narrative: TKOF RWY 30L AUS AT XA36 CST. AT 300 FT AGL TURNED R TO 315 DEGS TO INTERCEPT AUS 290 DEG RADIAL. AFTER FLAPS UP, AND SLAT RETRACT AT 1500 FT AGL, TWR YELLED, 'OUR CALL SIGN, TURN TO HDG 230 DEGS.' THE URGENCY AND HIGH VOLUME OF THE COMMAND, I IMMEDIATELY STARTED INTO A 30 DEG ANGLE BANK TO THE L. DIRECTLY IN FRONT, AND SLIGHTLY BELOW (ABOUT 1 MI), ZOOMED ANOTHER AIRLINES 737. A SPLIT SECOND THOUGHT FLASHED THROUGH MY MIND: 'WE'RE TURNING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.' THE NEXT SPLIT SECOND THOUGHT WAS, 'I DON'T KNOW WHY THE TWR TOLD US TO TURN L, AS THERE ARE OTHER RWYS IN AUSTIN,' AND KEPT UP MY L TURN. THE TCASII WENT OFF (AMBER TA) 'TFC, TFC.' I WAS TOO BUSY HAND FLYING THE PLANE AND LOOKING OUT THE COCKPIT WINDOW TO REALLY DETERMINE IF THE TFC WAS ABOVE OR BELOW, SO KEPT EVERYTHING THE SAME. NO MORE TCASII WARNINGS WENT OFF (TA OR RA). THE TWR OPERATOR THEN YELLED, 'ANOTHER AIRLINE XXX? ABORT! ABORT YOUR TKOF!' AGAIN HE SAID, 'ANOTHER AIRLINE XXX? ABORT YOUR TKOF AND CLR THE RWY (30L).' THE TWR THEN BLURTED OUT, 'I FORGOT THAT I CLRED YOUR COMPANY ACFT TO LAND ON RWY 12R (SAME RWY).' NOW, WE THINK THE FIRST ANOTHER AIRLINE'S 737 DOVE UNDER US, AND LINED UP TO LAND. HEAD ON TO THE SECOND ANOTHER AIRLINE'S 737 WHO HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF. THERE WERE NO FURTHER RADIO XMISSIONS BY ANYONE! AN OLDER, CALMER, AND EXPERIENCED TWR VOICE THEN CLRED US, 'TURN TO HDG 320 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE AUS 290 DEG RADIAL, SWITCH TO DEP FREQ XXX.YY.' THIS ONLY THE LATEST FIASCO WE'VE SEEN ANOTHER AIRLINE'S AIRLINE BE INVOLVED IN. XWIND TKOFS AND LNDGS, TAILWIND TKOFS AND LNDGS, HURRY! HURRY! HURRY! THEIR CORPORATE AND PLT PAY/SPD INCENTIVES ARE GOING TO CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT VERY SOON. THEY ARE RIDING ON THE KNIFE EDGE OF SAFE AIRLINE OPS. POSSIBLE TWR OPERATOR TRAINING, LETTING A PLANE LAND AGAINST THE DUTY RWY TKOF FLOW, AND NOT SENDING THIS FIRST OFFENDING ACFT ON A NON CONFLICT HDG AND CLB MADE FOR A 3-PLANE RIASCO. IT ALL HAPPENED VERY FAST, WITH LITTLE MARGIN FOR ALTERNATE ACTIONS. THE TWR WAS AT FAULT.

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.