An "air traffic nightmare" at PHL!

[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