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A B737 on ILS runway 22L approach requests runway 29 for landing due to crosswind. A runway change was not issued and the B737 land on runway 22L. The reporter discussed the runway assignment with the tower supervisor and learned that runway 29 is used primarily for turboprop departures. The reporter believes that crosswind runways should not be used when other runways more aligned with the wind are available.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 357413 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199701 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mia |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 9100 |
| ASRS Report | 357413 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Flight from buf to ewr was cleared for the ILS runway 22L at ewr and switched to tower. Tower cleared us to land and gave the wind at 310/25g30. I requested runway 29 for landing and was told that they would check and get back to me, because they were departing on runway 29. I never heard back about my request and since the wind was within limits we landed on runway 22L. I noticed that there was no line for departures on runway 29. In fact, I could not see anyone holding short for runway 29 as we flew over. After landing I called the tower supervisor as I was interested to know how much crosswind ther needs to be before I can get to land into the wind. He told me that runway 29 is now given a separate controller for turboprop departures and there is some coordination required to get runway 29 for landing during this operation. He also said that my company wants ewr to stay in a parallel runway operation as long as possible because the runway 29 operation impacts their on time performance. I would suggest that this is an operation where safety has become a tertiary consideration, behind both economic and administrative concerns. When the wind is 90 degrees off centerline gusting to 30 KTS, there's a runway into the wind and I can't use it because of the reasons above, safety is being compromised.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737 ON ILS RWY 22L APCH REQUESTS RWY 29 FOR LNDG DUE TO XWIND. A RWY CHANGE WAS NOT ISSUED AND THE B737 LAND ON RWY 22L. THE RPTR DISCUSSED THE RWY ASSIGNMENT WITH THE TWR SUPVR AND LEARNED THAT RWY 29 IS USED PRIMARILY FOR TURBOPROP DEPS. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT XWIND RWYS SHOULD NOT BE USED WHEN OTHER RWYS MORE ALIGNED WITH THE WIND ARE AVAILABLE.
Narrative: FLT FROM BUF TO EWR WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 22L AT EWR AND SWITCHED TO TWR. TWR CLRED US TO LAND AND GAVE THE WIND AT 310/25G30. I REQUESTED RWY 29 FOR LNDG AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD CHK AND GET BACK TO ME, BECAUSE THEY WERE DEPARTING ON RWY 29. I NEVER HEARD BACK ABOUT MY REQUEST AND SINCE THE WIND WAS WITHIN LIMITS WE LANDED ON RWY 22L. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO LINE FOR DEPS ON RWY 29. IN FACT, I COULD NOT SEE ANYONE HOLDING SHORT FOR RWY 29 AS WE FLEW OVER. AFTER LNDG I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR AS I WAS INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW MUCH XWIND THER NEEDS TO BE BEFORE I CAN GET TO LAND INTO THE WIND. HE TOLD ME THAT RWY 29 IS NOW GIVEN A SEPARATE CTLR FOR TURBOPROP DEPS AND THERE IS SOME COORD REQUIRED TO GET RWY 29 FOR LNDG DURING THIS OP. HE ALSO SAID THAT MY COMPANY WANTS EWR TO STAY IN A PARALLEL RWY OP AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE RWY 29 OP IMPACTS THEIR ON TIME PERFORMANCE. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS IS AN OP WHERE SAFETY HAS BECOME A TERTIARY CONSIDERATION, BEHIND BOTH ECONOMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONCERNS. WHEN THE WIND IS 90 DEGS OFF CTRLINE GUSTING TO 30 KTS, THERE'S A RWY INTO THE WIND AND I CAN'T USE IT BECAUSE OF THE REASONS ABOVE, SAFETY IS BEING COMPROMISED.
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.