For Kingairrick: TEB Issues

[TIS]

Everyone’s chimed in on the TEB issue and no one’s said anything about some stuff at TEB that can get you in serious trouble, or dead.

I fly into TEB about 30-40 times a year. Here goes.

TEB is an old airport. As such, its construction is archaic and out of step with the traffic it now handles. Several things are important to understand about TEB. I bring these issues up not because they happen all the time but rather because they CAN happen at any time – something that’s not true at most controlled airports.

First, from Runway 1, a pilot cannot see the threshold of runway 6 and vice-versa. Trees and buildings obstruct your view. In fact, you can’t see anything going on on either runway from the opposite runway until whatever there is to see enters the Runway Visibility Zone for the intersection of the two runways. This is because there is NO requirement in the construction of an airport that mandates that the ends of runways that intersect be visible to one another. It is merely “recommended.”

The Runway Visibility Zone, a region that surrounds the intersection of any two runways, is defined by connecting some mathematically derived points on the centerline of each runway at specific distances from the intersection. The result is a region surrounding the intersection itself within which an aircraft on either runway must be able to see what’s happening within the Safety Zone on the other runway.

Pilots of aircraft operating at TEB are not aware of their lack of ability to see potential conflicts and are thus, not looking for them. However, he presence of such a threat could be critical. A GIII fueled for a trans-continental flight for example, is traveling at a speed of 95 – 100 Kts by the time it reaches the visibility point for Runway 1. If, at this point the pilot has to abort because of what he sees, he has about 2500 feet to do it from that speed. It’s not a pretty picture.

Another thing that pilots often believe (incorrectly, I might add) is that they always have an opportunity to prevent a nasty situation from developing from circumstances like these. The trouble with this situation is that since you cannot see Runway 6 from Runway 1 you cannot make FULLY informed safety related judgments about using Runway 1 when authorized to do so by the tower. The tower’s clearance is your ONLY assurance that the situation is safe. If they make a mistake, or, more likely, another pilot makes a mistake and fails to adhere to a LAHSO instruction or lands/takes off without clearance you could wind up a victim AND the one responsible all at once. After all, you ARE the PIC and you ARE the final authority as to the operation of the aircraft.

Another little gotcha at TEB is the hotspot charted on Jepp charts at the intersection of Runway 6 and Taxiway B. If you land on Runway 6 you will most likely be instructed by the tower to turn left at BRAVO and HOLD SHORT of Runway 1.

No big deal right? WRONG!!!

The problem arises from the fact that in order to hold short of Runway 1, you must remain ON Runway 6. As you exit Runway 6 you will notice that the hold bars for each runway are painted backwards. That is, you will come upon the bars for holding short of Runway 1 prior to the bars for EXITING Runway 6. What all this adds up to is that if you land on 6 and cannot get across Runway 1 on BRAVO, you are set up for an incursion situation that only the tower can fix. Failure to realize this could be disastrous. Pilots must press the issue of crossing Runway 1 as soon as they land, because, after all, if you’ve landed on 6, the reason for having done so means others are likely to be RIGHT behind you, ready to land. They won't be expecting you to still be there, and unless you figure it out, neither will you!

I have personally been involved in some close calls at TEB related to these issues, which is why I bring them to your attention. Avoiding incursions is all about awareness of your exposure to the threat that they pose in any particular set of circumstances. TEB has some things that it pays to be aware of as you search for places where your pants might fall down. Awareness of these issues can help you throw a belt through a loop or two to keep them up at ALL times while you're in lovely New Jersey.

I hope this helps.

TIS

 

[Timebuilder]

It always bugs me when they do that with the hold short lines due to a lack of space between runways.

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Kingairrick]

This post, and all the others on the other thread are exactly why I'm on this Board.

Thanks! I'm going tuesday for the overnight.

Rick

 

[GREAT LAKES]

TEB ops

TIS has covered alot, but most important is to listen to the radio. Be aware of who is where. Not very often do you switch from ground to tower and "just take off" believe me. If two aircraft are cleared for takeoff at nearly the same time, hopefully one crewmember will figure it out, and question it!! Gook luck.

 

[Heavy Set]

Tis,

Great post.

 

[TIS]

Be careful! Things aren't always...

...as they seem!

Great Lakes makes this observation:

Not very often do you switch from ground to tower and "just take off" believe me. If two aircraft are cleared for takeoff at nearly the same time, hopefully one crewmember will figure it out, and question it!

I have to disagree, at least in part. I can think of plenty of places where you do indeed switch from ground to tower immediately before a takeoff clearance is issued to you.

TETERBORO IS ONE OF THEM!

When you depart Runway 19 you taxi to the runway hold line with ground. The reason is that often you will be asked to cross 19 into the runup area. Ground issues these instructions in coordination with local and they get pretty upset when you don't respond because you're on tower without their blessing. What this does is put you in a situation in which if you are told to talk to tower instead of crossing into the runup area, you've been on tower for perhaps a few seconds when your runway clearance is issued.

Another problem situation at TEB arises from the short taxi from Jet Aviation to Runway 1. You will be on tower a very short time before you are issued a clearance to be on the runway. The tricky hidden detail here is the threat posed by the aircraft that was cleared to LAND that you DIDN'T hear because it happened three minutes before you arrived on frequency. This is particularly true if the other plane was cleared to land on 6.

Remember when I noted that you can't see what's going on over there from the end of Runway 1? Well, what I forgot to mention is the fact that the last 50' of the approach is ALSO obscured.

So, here's how it goes: You taxi with ground to Runway 1, change to tower and are cleared to takeoff. What you don't know (and have no way of determining) is that your takeoff clearance was issued in error because there is an aircraft 30' above Runway 6 in the landing flare that YOU CAN'T SEE! His clearance was issued eons ago and has since been forgotten by the tower and was never heard by you. Because the only visibility requirement for the intersecting runways covers the intersection and SOME of the surrounding area, you will not see the conflict until one of the two aircraft move into the Runway Visibility Zone.

It's an unwelcome surprise - you can take THAT to the bank.

DCA offers another very ticklish scenario. Even though there are no physical obstructions that block your view between runway ends, the geometry of the airport itself is a setup for disaster.

DCA has three pieces of pavement, each intersecting THE OTHER TWO strips. This means that for any operation conducted to, from, or on a runway there are at least TWO incursions possible. If that's not elevated incursion risk, I don’t know what is.

Here's the gotcha. If you taxi to Runway 33, you will have to cross at least two potentially active runways to do it. Neither crossing scenario (M/G/G1 to HOTEL or FOXTROT to 33) affords much time on tower frequency. If you are cleared into position or issued a takeoff clearance immediately on 33 the information you don't have is possibly more important than the information you incorrectly believe that you DO have.

Here's how this one works. With the short time on tower you don't hear the aircraft landing on Runway 1 cleared to land. You probably also don't realize either, that in order to see an aircraft over the numbers on Runway 1 you must be able to see 31° BEHIND your aircraft. An aircrat over the lights requires upwards of 40° rearward visbility. All you've done is check out the window and perhaps a little behind you.

In my G-III all a look out the window buys me is about 15° of rearward view. If I know to do it however, I can look as much as 57° aft of the aircraft. But again I have to know that it's necessary and, that’s just me.

The pilot of a Do-328 Jet can't even afford himself this luxury. When he looks back (IF he looks BACK) all he sees is engine and wing. The same is true of a Dash-8 driver, and both of these aircraft have performance data to use 33 at DCA.

Consider this also. Suppose you’re the pilot of the aircraft on final and don’t realize that the guy who’s pushing up the power on 33 CAN’T see you because the geometry of the airport and/or the geometry of the aircraft combine to produce a situation in which it is physically IMPOSSIBLE for him to do so. How good do you think HIS safety assessment is? Once again, the tower is in the driver’s seat and YOU’RE the one responsible for the SAFE operation of the aircraft. The final decision will ALWAYS be said to have been yours.

It is important for all of us to realize that the incursion risk equation works BOTH ways. That is, your exposure to risk may be elevated not only by what YOU are unable to perceive, but also by what others are unable to perceive.

There is A LOT to know about preventing incursions and interestingly, we all already know most of it. It’s the combination of certain particular elements of knowledge at particular times that we all need some indoctrination with.

Simple stuff like REALLY studying an airport diagram and comparing it to what you see outside (if you’re already there) can be enormously enlightening. Understanding what you (and others) can and cannot see from the cockpit of your (or their) aircraft because of aircraft structure or airport geometry, or both, is also essential. Recognition of who’s in the game like English-as-a-second-language foreign carriers can go a long ways toward improving your alertness for trouble about to pounce.

Hope this is informative!

TIS

 

[TIS]

BTW

I'll be in TEB tomorrow and Fri. Arriving 1230 or so. Happy to meet anyone there for a coffee (or better) to discuss this stuff in greater detail than I can write it tonight.

TIS