Narrative:

This report is filed as an observation of an operation conducted by the salt lake tower on a regular basis over the past 2-3 yrs. Under certain conditions, the salt lake tower controller's will assign a departure aircraft to use runway 16L or runway 17. They will do this while using runway 16R for arrs only. During several departures I have done under this clearance with a vector turn to 280 degrees, from either runway 16R or runway 17, I have noticed from the air that we were in a position where we could possibly find ourselves on a collision course with an aircraft that had been landing on runway 16R, but either had to do a go around or a missed approach. Compounding the potential for such a disaster, is the fact that each aircraft that may be involved in the potential collision zone, is operating on an entirely different tower frequency, and cannot hear the other aircraft or controller. In addition, and due to the location of the tower between the runways, each controller would actually be looking opposite the other. East versus west. This means that even if the controller's are looking directly at their respective aircraft, should the landing aircraft go around (VMC only), the controller's would still have to communicate the potential collision to each other, then issue avoidance instructions to each aircraft. Should a loss of communications occur (stuck microphone, etc), a collision may become unavoidable. Under IMC conditions, the radar update may take just long enough to make collision avoidance instructions too late. In both cases, it is assumed that the controllers are paying direct attention to the actual aircraft or the radar screen, and without distraction. TCASII would help in this situation, but it should be noted the TCASII RA's are inhibited on some aircraft during approach and departure phases, including the CRJ50. Please note that this report is only an observation and the report writer has not experienced an actual traffic incident as of the date of this report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ CAPT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING SLC TWR'S ISSUANCE OF DEP HDGS AND POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH ARR TFC EXECUTING A GAR.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS FILED AS AN OBSERVATION OF AN OP CONDUCTED BY THE SALT LAKE TWR ON A REGULAR BASIS OVER THE PAST 2-3 YRS. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THE SALT LAKE TWR CTLR'S WILL ASSIGN A DEP ACFT TO USE RWY 16L OR RWY 17. THEY WILL DO THIS WHILE USING RWY 16R FOR ARRS ONLY. DURING SEVERAL DEPS I HAVE DONE UNDER THIS CLRNC WITH A VECTOR TURN TO 280 DEGS, FROM EITHER RWY 16R OR RWY 17, I HAVE NOTICED FROM THE AIR THAT WE WERE IN A POS WHERE WE COULD POSSIBLY FIND OURSELVES ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH AN ACFT THAT HAD BEEN LNDG ON RWY 16R, BUT EITHER HAD TO DO A GAR OR A MISSED APCH. COMPOUNDING THE POTENTIAL FOR SUCH A DISASTER, IS THE FACT THAT EACH ACFT THAT MAY BE INVOLVED IN THE POTENTIAL COLLISION ZONE, IS OPERATING ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT TWR FREQ, AND CANNOT HEAR THE OTHER ACFT OR CTLR. IN ADDITION, AND DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE TWR BTWN THE RWYS, EACH CTLR WOULD ACTUALLY BE LOOKING OPPOSITE THE OTHER. EAST VERSUS WEST. THIS MEANS THAT EVEN IF THE CTLR'S ARE LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THEIR RESPECTIVE ACFT, SHOULD THE LNDG ACFT GAR (VMC ONLY), THE CTLR'S WOULD STILL HAVE TO COMMUNICATE THE POTENTIAL COLLISION TO EACH OTHER, THEN ISSUE AVOIDANCE INSTRUCTIONS TO EACH ACFT. SHOULD A LOSS OF COMS OCCUR (STUCK MIKE, ETC), A COLLISION MAY BECOME UNAVOIDABLE. UNDER IMC CONDITIONS, THE RADAR UPDATE MAY TAKE JUST LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE COLLISION AVOIDANCE INSTRUCTIONS TOO LATE. IN BOTH CASES, IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE CTLRS ARE PAYING DIRECT ATTN TO THE ACTUAL ACFT OR THE RADAR SCREEN, AND WITHOUT DISTR. TCASII WOULD HELP IN THIS SIT, BUT IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE TCASII RA'S ARE INHIBITED ON SOME ACFT DURING APCH AND DEP PHASES, INCLUDING THE CRJ50. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS RPT IS ONLY AN OBSERVATION AND THE RPT WRITER HAS NOT EXPERIENCED AN ACTUAL TFC INCIDENT AS OF THE DATE OF THIS RPT.

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.