An "air traffic nightmare" at PHL!

[BoilerUP]

Neat local news video animation of incident...

A scare at Philadelphia International Airport Sunday caused tense moments as two planes nearly collided on the runway.
It's happened in Florida, New York, and now right here in Philadelphia: an air traffic nightmare!

Two commercial planes come close to colliding at Philadelphia International on Sunday.

A U.S. Airways flight from Las Vegas had just landed.

At the same time an Air Wisconsin regional jet was preparing to take off for Cincinnati.

In the transcript below, the words 'November,' 'Sierra,' and 'Tango' are the taxiways the planes are on.

US 1752: "And uh, US 1752 are we cleared to cross here at November?"
ATC: "1752, I need you to taxi. I gave you instructions. November Sierra. Make the right. Make the right turn Southbound on November."
US1752: "Ok, November Sierra Southbound. We're going to Charlie 27. It is open."
ATC: "I understand. I need to bring you in sequence with everybody else. Make a right on November, left on Sierra."
US1752: "November, left on Sierra US 1752."
ATC: 1752, you are. 1752 what are you doing?! 1752 hold your position. 1752 ground?"
US1752: "You cleared us to cross."
ATC: "No I didn't 1752. I cleared you to go South on November."
US1752: "I specifically asked to cross and you said 'Cleared to cross 9 left.'"
ATC: "Negative 1752. I gave you, I gave you a right turn to go South, November Sierra."

Now, here's a look at what went wrong. The U.S. Airways plane was supposed to take a right on the taxi-way. Instead, the jet went left, sending it right in the path of the other plane.

ATC: "Turn right on Tango. That traffic was unauthorized to cross that runway."

Philadelphia air traffic controllers turned the Air Wisconsin jet into the closest taxiway to avoid a collision.

No comment from U.S. Airways.

The pilot's mistake is still under investigation.

------------------

Let's all be careful out there!

 

[LearLove]

Like most mistakes this there were/are other issues that contributed to the incident.

The construction there at November, Papa and Sierra and somewhat Mike taxiways (between the 2 parallels) is marked very crappy. Hard to tell whats open and whats not - plus its not the whole taxiway width that is closed just a portion.

Plus how do you taxi south on Sierra??? Sierra is the parallel to 2&L and 9R. The best I can tell is the controller wanted them to turn right onto that area that is part S1 and Mike then take Sierra East.

Plus landing 9R we always turn and cross where they did however because of the construction everyone was taking Sierra east to hold short 9L at Echo like your going to F terminal or the FBO.

no doubt the crew will take the heat but there outside contributing factors as well.

 

[GuppyWN]

If the controller didn't have a freaking attitude and just answer the question it would have been problem solved.

Gup

 

[737 Pylt]

If the controller didn't have a freaking attitude and just answer the question it would have been problem solved.

Gup

You haven't been to PHL too much lately!imp: HE HE HE!
The place is a dump!

737

 

[GuppyWN]

That's WHY I said they should lose the attitude. I wish I could say "SWA 123 D6 push sometime this year in the order I called for push without the bitching and attitude."

Gup

 

[Stifler's Mom]

If the controller didn't have a freaking attitude and just answer the question it would have been problem solved.

Gup

I could sense the same thing reading the transcript. How about as a controller when you see that there is some confusion coming from a flight crew, you take the time to help them as opposed to berating them into an error.

 

[MJG]

Ahhh........Philly. Pretty sad when you can sense the attitude just by reading the transcript.

 

[LearLove]

If the controller didn't have a freaking attitude and just answer the question it would have been problem solved.

Gup

funny thing or not so funny in this case is that the guy in the transcript is one of the more "non-attitude" ones at PHL. Over the years I've known some of the controllers there thru general aviation and whatnot ad like most organizations 95% are great professional capable individuals it's just the other precentage that somehow set the tone for the whole.

 

[Nocturnal1]

Philliy has always been a Train wreck looking for a place to happen. The controller's attitudes are just frosting on the cake. "Do you have a sequence for us?" "Yeah, you're last." Between the double-downwinds, construction, congested parking, and spongy taxiways, this place is the epoch of FAA mismanagement.

Don't take the controllers unprofessional attitude - tell them to mark the tapes and call and speak with the tower supervisor and tell him/her that you would like to have QA listen to the tapes for review. Works well.

 

[Diesel-9]

Fatigue was not a factor.........

 

[whymeworry?]

Couple of comments here guys:

1) When controllers give me 'tude, I just take my own sweet time. I'm not gonna' get wrapped around an axle because of a controller. If he wants to put me to the back of the line since I won't march to his the beat of his drum, so be it. I get paid by the minute anyway.

Mistakes are way too easy in this business. When I look back the mistakes I've made over my career, it has always been due to my rushing (or allowing myself to get rushed by someone) or fatigue. I can't control fatigue but I can slow down just a bit and prevent myself from being rushed. I never understand these pilots who rush on the ground. As if its going to help your time, come on. Any delays are made up in flight.

2) More often than not, controllers are issuing too many instructions in one call. "Turn right 340, climb and maintain FL230, cleared direct DARNL". It's easy for a crew to swap any one of those instructions and climb to 340 while turning to hdg 230. The controllers need to issue one instruction at a time or else they should own any mistake that occurs on the part of the flight crew.

 

[kngarthur]

Neat local news video animation of incident...

A scare at Philadelphia International Airport Sunday caused tense moments as two planes nearly collided on the runway.
It's happened in Florida, New York, and now right here in Philadelphia: an air traffic nightmare!

Two commercial planes come close to colliding at Philadelphia International on Sunday.

A U.S. Airways flight from Las Vegas had just landed.

At the same time an Air Wisconsin regional jet was preparing to take off for Cincinnati.

In the transcript below, the words 'November,' 'Sierra,' and 'Tango' are the taxiways the planes are on.

US 1752: "And uh, US 1752 are we cleared to cross here at November?"
ATC: "1752, I need you to taxi. I gave you instructions. November Sierra. Make the right. Make the right turn Southbound on November."
US1752: "Ok, November Sierra Southbound. We're going to Charlie 27. It is open."
ATC: "I understand. I need to bring you in sequence with everybody else. Make a right on November, left on Sierra."
US1752: "November, left on Sierra US 1752."
ATC: 1752, you are. 1752 what are you doing?! 1752 hold your position. 1752 ground?"
US1752: "You cleared us to cross."
ATC: "No I didn't 1752. I cleared you to go South on November."
US1752: "I specifically asked to cross and you said 'Cleared to cross 9 left.'"
ATC: "Negative 1752. I gave you, I gave you a right turn to go South, November Sierra."

Now, here's a look at what went wrong. The U.S. Airways plane was supposed to take a right on the taxi-way. Instead, the jet went left, sending it right in the path of the other plane.

ATC: "Turn right on Tango. That traffic was unauthorized to cross that runway."

Philadelphia air traffic controllers turned the Air Wisconsin jet into the closest taxiway to avoid a collision.

No comment from U.S. Airways.

The pilot's mistake is still under investigation.

------------------

Let's all be careful out there!

I wonder if the pilot can get off through ASAP?

 

[A350]

Unfortunately, it sounds a lot like they heard what they "expected" to hear and did what they "expected" to do.

The pilot on the radio clearly states that they were "cleared" to cross and at no time was that ever even mentioned.

Yes, this will get into the ASAP program, as long as it is not a willful act on the part of the crew. I think it will depend on what was transpiring in the cockpit. Who knows what other distractions were present.

A350