An approach controller reporter on the multitude of missed clrncs by air carrier flcs in the den app...

Attributes
ACN	457957
Time
Date	199912
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : d01.tracon
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude descent : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 18
ASRS Report	457957
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other other spatial deviation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Company Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance FAA ATC Facility
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : d01.tracon

Narrative:

Communications between controllers and pilots in the den approach airspace are like no other I have ever seen. Since coming to denver 3 1/2 yrs ago, there has been the problem (at least from the controller's perspective) that pilots don't pay attention. I have worked approach at lax and dfw and never (even close) did we have this problem. Turns to final, descent and climb clrncs are missed (no response). Readbacks are wrong (ie, descend and maintain one-three thousand is routinely read back as one-two thousand). One crew issued one-three-thousand as three thousand and was stopped at one-one thousand by the controller. When questioned. They claimed clearance to three thousand and were headed to it. In denver? Another crew on departure, assigned FL230 on initial contact, then proceeded to fly into higher terrain at 10000 ft claiming no climb issued. Tape revealed climb issued, crew readback of call sign only. Aircraft constantly answer for one another, even different companies. This problem is so severe, it is only a matter of time before an accident occurs. Airways facilities has checked radios and claim no problems found. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: ATC radio status: it was thought there was a problem with the radios. Airways facilities technicians checked the performance, nothing wrong with ATC radios. There had been, however, one instance where the reporter noted during a familiarization trip that den departure control volume was low compared to tower and center volumes. Aircraft radio status: reporter and associates think that some air carrier crews are using speakers instead of headsets, losing their call signs or misinterping clrncs. There were no indications of a 'simultaneous transmission' problem. Areas of problem: mostly on approach control, working with 'feeder' controllers and final approach controllers. Attempts at correction: meetings with union representatives, facility representatives, facility manager, FAA facility manager, laboratory technicians. One roadblock is 'documentation.' facility manager wants to document incidents, by controllers taking notes of flight number and event. Reporter said they could pull any set of random tapes and get the documentation needed. 1 or 2 airline mgrs contacted, no responses. Another airline pilot passed on information that the air carrier inspectors have placed this situation at a 'low priority.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN APCH CTLR RPTR ON THE MULTITUDE OF MISSED CLRNCS BY ACR FLCS IN THE DEN APCH AREA. SOME RESULT IN POSSIBLE CFIT OR NMAC SITS.

Narrative: COMS BTWN CTLRS AND PLTS IN THE DEN APCH AIRSPACE ARE LIKE NO OTHER I HAVE EVER SEEN. SINCE COMING TO DENVER 3 1/2 YRS AGO, THERE HAS BEEN THE PROB (AT LEAST FROM THE CTLR'S PERSPECTIVE) THAT PLTS DON'T PAY ATTN. I HAVE WORKED APCH AT LAX AND DFW AND NEVER (EVEN CLOSE) DID WE HAVE THIS PROB. TURNS TO FINAL, DSCNT AND CLB CLRNCS ARE MISSED (NO RESPONSE). READBACKS ARE WRONG (IE, DSND AND MAINTAIN ONE-THREE THOUSAND IS ROUTINELY READ BACK AS ONE-TWO THOUSAND). ONE CREW ISSUED ONE-THREE-THOUSAND AS THREE THOUSAND AND WAS STOPPED AT ONE-ONE THOUSAND BY THE CTLR. WHEN QUESTIONED. THEY CLAIMED CLRNC TO THREE THOUSAND AND WERE HEADED TO IT. IN DENVER? ANOTHER CREW ON DEP, ASSIGNED FL230 ON INITIAL CONTACT, THEN PROCEEDED TO FLY INTO HIGHER TERRAIN AT 10000 FT CLAIMING NO CLB ISSUED. TAPE REVEALED CLB ISSUED, CREW READBACK OF CALL SIGN ONLY. ACFT CONSTANTLY ANSWER FOR ONE ANOTHER, EVEN DIFFERENT COMPANIES. THIS PROB IS SO SEVERE, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. AIRWAYS FACILITIES HAS CHKED RADIOS AND CLAIM NO PROBS FOUND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ATC RADIO STATUS: IT WAS THOUGHT THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE RADIOS. AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS CHKED THE PERFORMANCE, NOTHING WRONG WITH ATC RADIOS. THERE HAD BEEN, HOWEVER, ONE INSTANCE WHERE THE RPTR NOTED DURING A FAMILIARIZATION TRIP THAT DEN DEP CTL VOLUME WAS LOW COMPARED TO TWR AND CTR VOLUMES. ACFT RADIO STATUS: RPTR AND ASSOCIATES THINK THAT SOME ACR CREWS ARE USING SPEAKERS INSTEAD OF HEADSETS, LOSING THEIR CALL SIGNS OR MISINTERPING CLRNCS. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A 'SIMULTANEOUS XMISSION' PROB. AREAS OF PROB: MOSTLY ON APCH CTL, WORKING WITH 'FEEDER' CTLRS AND FINAL APCH CTLRS. ATTEMPTS AT CORRECTION: MEETINGS WITH UNION REPRESENTATIVES, FACILITY REPRESENTATIVES, FACILITY MGR, FAA FACILITY MGR, LABORATORY TECHNICIANS. ONE ROADBLOCK IS 'DOCUMENTATION.' FACILITY MGR WANTS TO DOCUMENT INCIDENTS, BY CTLRS TAKING NOTES OF FLT NUMBER AND EVENT. RPTR SAID THEY COULD PULL ANY SET OF RANDOM TAPES AND GET THE DOCUMENTATION NEEDED. 1 OR 2 AIRLINE MGRS CONTACTED, NO RESPONSES. ANOTHER AIRLINE PLT PASSED ON INFO THAT THE ACR INSPECTORS HAVE PLACED THIS SIT AT A 'LOW PRIORITY.

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.

An approach controller reporter on the multitude of missed clrncs by air carrier flcs in the den approach area. Some result in possible CFIT or near midair collision sits.