 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
GA-small aircraft cleared to taxi across end of runway concerned about proximity of GA-small aircraft on final approach and proximity of tie down area to runway threshold.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 99345 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198812 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sff |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sff |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | landing other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 99345 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
I was cleared to taxi by controller who knew of traffic on downwind for runway 3R, but didn't tell me of it. The controller then took a phone call and did not get back into the chain of events until small aircraft Y passed. He figured runway 3R traffic was not a factor. I turned left from tied down onto taxiway and immediately saw traffic on close in final for runway 3R (about 15 seconds elapsed between taxi clearance and my entry onto taxiway). After determining direction of flight of runway 3R final traffic, for sure, I taxied off taxiway onto sod. Final traffic for runway 3R either didn't see me or decided he had enough clearance for a safe approach and landing, rather than going around. Situation occurred because of: tighter, closer approach than usual by traffic for runway 3R, time needed for me to turn around from tie down onto taxiway, distraction of controller by phone call, and decision of landing traffic not to go around. Situation could be avoided by elimination of tie downs in and adjacent to restr taxi zone in approach to runway 3R. I always figured that these tie downs must meet standards, but now I am not so sure. More of a safety buffer zone should be allowed for the approach to runway 3R. Additionally, departing traffic, on hot days, using runway 21L, does not have much clearance from the tie downs in question. Eliminating tie downs would be an economic hardship for the FBO's. But, determination of whether or not the tie downs in question are safe and meet standards is important. Displacing runway 3R threshold might work. I am reporting this occurrence only in hope of trying to correct what may be an unsafe situation. As far as I am concerned no single error by a controller, pilots involved, or airport facs was causative. It was a failure of the whole system. Whether or not the situation is even reportable as a near miss is questionable, as approaching traffic landed normally west/O comment.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GA-SMA CLEARED TO TAXI ACROSS END OF RWY CONCERNED ABOUT PROX OF GA-SMA ON FINAL APCH AND PROX OF TIE DOWN AREA TO RWY THRESHOLD.
Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO TAXI BY CTLR WHO KNEW OF TFC ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 3R, BUT DIDN'T TELL ME OF IT. THE CTLR THEN TOOK A PHONE CALL AND DID NOT GET BACK INTO THE CHAIN OF EVENTS UNTIL SMA Y PASSED. HE FIGURED RWY 3R TFC WAS NOT A FACTOR. I TURNED LEFT FROM TIED DOWN ONTO TXWY AND IMMEDIATELY SAW TFC ON CLOSE IN FINAL FOR RWY 3R (ABOUT 15 SECS ELAPSED BTWN TAXI CLRNC AND MY ENTRY ONTO TXWY). AFTER DETERMINING DIRECTION OF FLT OF RWY 3R FINAL TFC, FOR SURE, I TAXIED OFF TXWY ONTO SOD. FINAL TFC FOR RWY 3R EITHER DIDN'T SEE ME OR DECIDED HE HAD ENOUGH CLRNC FOR A SAFE APCH AND LNDG, RATHER THAN GOING AROUND. SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF: TIGHTER, CLOSER APCH THAN USUAL BY TFC FOR RWY 3R, TIME NEEDED FOR ME TO TURN AROUND FROM TIE DOWN ONTO TXWY, DISTR OF CTLR BY PHONE CALL, AND DECISION OF LNDG TFC NOT TO GO AROUND. SITUATION COULD BE AVOIDED BY ELIMINATION OF TIE DOWNS IN AND ADJACENT TO RESTR TAXI ZONE IN APCH TO RWY 3R. I ALWAYS FIGURED THAT THESE TIE DOWNS MUST MEET STANDARDS, BUT NOW I AM NOT SO SURE. MORE OF A SAFETY BUFFER ZONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED FOR THE APCH TO RWY 3R. ADDITIONALLY, DEPARTING TFC, ON HOT DAYS, USING RWY 21L, DOES NOT HAVE MUCH CLRNC FROM THE TIE DOWNS IN QUESTION. ELIMINATING TIE DOWNS WOULD BE AN ECONOMIC HARDSHIP FOR THE FBO'S. BUT, DETERMINATION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE TIE DOWNS IN QUESTION ARE SAFE AND MEET STANDARDS IS IMPORTANT. DISPLACING RWY 3R THRESHOLD MIGHT WORK. I AM RPTING THIS OCCURRENCE ONLY IN HOPE OF TRYING TO CORRECT WHAT MAY BE AN UNSAFE SITUATION. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED NO SINGLE ERROR BY A CTLR, PLTS INVOLVED, OR ARPT FACS WAS CAUSATIVE. IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE WHOLE SYS. WHETHER OR NOT THE SITUATION IS EVEN REPORTABLE AS A NEAR MISS IS QUESTIONABLE, AS APCHING TFC LANDED NORMALLY W/O COMMENT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.