 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
After switching to pit tower frequency; a B737-300 crew heard a takeoff clearance. After verifying clearance while on the runway; crew realized takeoff clearance was for another aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 687660 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200602 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pit.airport |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 8400 |
| ASRS Report | 687660 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1100 |
| ASRS Report | 687659 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : runway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airport |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were on taxiway B; en route to runway 28R at pit. We were #1 for that runway; and no other aircraft around. We completed the before takeoff checklist then switched to tower control as we approached the end of the runway. We heard tower say a call sign (which we thought was ours) cleared for takeoff. Because we had just switched over; and the transmission seemed a little garbled; the first officer said confirm company number cleared for takeoff runway 28R. Then we heard an affirmative. We continued around the corner into position on the runway; but didn't quite have a warm and fuzzy; since we didn't hear the controller repeat our call sign when we were confirming our takeoff clearance. So we stopped at the normal position and hold area on the runway; and asked tower please confirm company number cleared for takeoff. Then the controller stated negative; you are not even cleared to be on the runway. We taxied clear immediately. We exited the runway back onto taxiway B. The exit was only about 50 ft away. We continued back to the hold short line where we were then cleared for takeoff almost immediately. The tower controller was apparently working 2 separate frequencys and had cleared someone on the other side of the airport for takeoff. The 'affirmative' that the controller gave us when we asked her to confirm was for another aircraft on the other frequency. This was my first time in pittsburgh and my first officer's second and for some reason it never occurred to me that she could have been talking to someone else on the other side of the airport on another frequency. The lesson learned or one that I normally know better; is that we should not have accepted the 'affirmative' as the confirmation that she was talking to us. We should have gotten her to say our call sign and repeat the clearance before crossing the hold short line. Fortunately; final was clear and there were no other aircraft around and no conflicts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AFTER SWITCHING TO PIT TWR FREQ; A B737-300 CREW HEARD A TKOF CLRNC. AFTER VERIFYING CLRNC WHILE ON THE RWY; CREW REALIZED TKOF CLRNC WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT.
Narrative: WE WERE ON TXWY B; ENRTE TO RWY 28R AT PIT. WE WERE #1 FOR THAT RWY; AND NO OTHER ACFT AROUND. WE COMPLETED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST THEN SWITCHED TO TWR CTL AS WE APCHED THE END OF THE RWY. WE HEARD TWR SAY A CALL SIGN (WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS OURS) CLRED FOR TKOF. BECAUSE WE HAD JUST SWITCHED OVER; AND THE XMISSION SEEMED A LITTLE GARBLED; THE FO SAID CONFIRM COMPANY NUMBER CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 28R. THEN WE HEARD AN AFFIRMATIVE. WE CONTINUED AROUND THE CORNER INTO POS ON THE RWY; BUT DIDN'T QUITE HAVE A WARM AND FUZZY; SINCE WE DIDN'T HEAR THE CTLR REPEAT OUR CALL SIGN WHEN WE WERE CONFIRMING OUR TKOF CLRNC. SO WE STOPPED AT THE NORMAL POS AND HOLD AREA ON THE RWY; AND ASKED TWR PLEASE CONFIRM COMPANY NUMBER CLRED FOR TKOF. THEN THE CTLR STATED NEGATIVE; YOU ARE NOT EVEN CLRED TO BE ON THE RWY. WE TAXIED CLR IMMEDIATELY. WE EXITED THE RWY BACK ONTO TXWY B. THE EXIT WAS ONLY ABOUT 50 FT AWAY. WE CONTINUED BACK TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHERE WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THE TWR CTLR WAS APPARENTLY WORKING 2 SEPARATE FREQS AND HAD CLRED SOMEONE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARPT FOR TKOF. THE 'AFFIRMATIVE' THAT THE CTLR GAVE US WHEN WE ASKED HER TO CONFIRM WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT ON THE OTHER FREQ. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME IN PITTSBURGH AND MY FO'S SECOND AND FOR SOME REASON IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT SHE COULD HAVE BEEN TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARPT ON ANOTHER FREQ. THE LESSON LEARNED OR ONE THAT I NORMALLY KNOW BETTER; IS THAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE 'AFFIRMATIVE' AS THE CONFIRMATION THAT SHE WAS TALKING TO US. WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN HER TO SAY OUR CALL SIGN AND REPEAT THE CLRNC BEFORE XING THE HOLD SHORT LINE. FORTUNATELY; FINAL WAS CLR AND THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT AROUND AND NO CONFLICTS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.