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Immediately on changing to N90 departure control, a B767 crew off ewr is twice given a revised clearance with a new altitude, a complex intercept instruction, and 2 frequency changes.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 616239 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200404 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr.airport |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | agl single value : 800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| ASRS Report | 616239 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
We departed runway 4L at ewr. Conditions were night IMC. Immediately upon switching to departure control, (at about 1000 ft AGL and before the aircraft was cleaned up) our clearance was revised with a new altitude and a complex intercept instruction. In less than 1 min (it seemed) we were switched to a new frequency and the clearance was once again modified, (both heading and altitude). All this while we were cleaning up the aircraft and attempting to complete the after takeoff checks. This sort of interference with flight deck duties is very distracting and creates a high potential for error. Why are there not full LNAV procedures utilized for the ewr airport? This practice of constantly revising departure clrncs, (often in rapid fire delivery style by the controller) in the first 2 mins after takeoff is very distracting. It certainly introduces a high likelihood of error. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that clrncs received before takeoff are almost always changed when the crew is instructed to contact departure control. Reporter said, if a clearance procedure is almost always changed, then ATC should change the standard procedure. Reporter suggested ATC should design more FMS departures out of ewr.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: IMMEDIATELY ON CHANGING TO N90 DEP CTL, A B767 CREW OFF EWR IS TWICE GIVEN A REVISED CLRNC WITH A NEW ALT, A COMPLEX INTERCEPT INSTRUCTION, AND 2 FREQ CHANGES.
Narrative: WE DEPARTED RWY 4L AT EWR. CONDITIONS WERE NIGHT IMC. IMMEDIATELY UPON SWITCHING TO DEP CTL, (AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL AND BEFORE THE ACFT WAS CLEANED UP) OUR CLRNC WAS REVISED WITH A NEW ALT AND A COMPLEX INTERCEPT INSTRUCTION. IN LESS THAN 1 MIN (IT SEEMED) WE WERE SWITCHED TO A NEW FREQ AND THE CLRNC WAS ONCE AGAIN MODIFIED, (BOTH HDG AND ALT). ALL THIS WHILE WE WERE CLEANING UP THE ACFT AND ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE THE AFTER TKOF CHKS. THIS SORT OF INTERFERENCE WITH FLT DECK DUTIES IS VERY DISTRACTING AND CREATES A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR ERROR. WHY ARE THERE NOT FULL LNAV PROCS UTILIZED FOR THE EWR ARPT? THIS PRACTICE OF CONSTANTLY REVISING DEP CLRNCS, (OFTEN IN RAPID FIRE DELIVERY STYLE BY THE CTLR) IN THE FIRST 2 MINS AFTER TKOF IS VERY DISTRACTING. IT CERTAINLY INTRODUCES A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF ERROR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT CLRNCS RECEIVED BEFORE TKOF ARE ALMOST ALWAYS CHANGED WHEN THE CREW IS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP CTL. RPTR SAID, IF A CLRNC PROC IS ALMOST ALWAYS CHANGED, THEN ATC SHOULD CHANGE THE STANDARD PROC. RPTR SUGGESTED ATC SHOULD DESIGN MORE FMS DEPS OUT OF EWR.
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.