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Small aircraft X made wrong turn after departure. Pilot deviation ATCT ground controller failed to hear small aircraft X readback wrong turn. Operational deviation. Situation: controllers don't wear headsets causing background noise from speakers.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 129346 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198911 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : riv |
| State Reference | CA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : riv |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude ground : preflight |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : ground |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 18 |
| ASRS Report | 129346 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Working ground control at riverside tower I issued a departure clearance to small aircraft X which included a left turn to paradise VOR. The pilot read back a right turn and with the background noise at the tower I did not catch the wrong direction and told the pilot that his readback was correct. Needless to say when the aircraft started to make a right turn it upset the departure controller. Fortunately there was no conflicting traffic. This could have been much more serious. Careful attention to the readback would have averted the problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter experience 18 yrs non radar. Reporter stated he had worked this aircraft before and was rather complacent about listening to the readback. Background noise was speaker noise because most controllers do not wear headsets while working traffic. There is no facility policy regarding this matter. Reporter stated he always wears headset when working traffic. Type aircraft was small aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA X MADE WRONG TURN AFTER DEP. PLT DEVIATION ATCT GND CTLR FAILED TO HEAR SMA X READBACK WRONG TURN. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION. SITUATION: CTLRS DON'T WEAR HEADSETS CAUSING BACKGROUND NOISE FROM SPEAKERS.
Narrative: WORKING GND CTL AT RIVERSIDE TWR I ISSUED A DEP CLRNC TO SMA X WHICH INCLUDED A LEFT TURN TO PARADISE VOR. THE PLT READ BACK A RIGHT TURN AND WITH THE BACKGROUND NOISE AT THE TWR I DID NOT CATCH THE WRONG DIRECTION AND TOLD THE PLT THAT HIS READBACK WAS CORRECT. NEEDLESS TO SAY WHEN THE ACFT STARTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN IT UPSET THE DEP CTLR. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS. CAREFUL ATTN TO THE READBACK WOULD HAVE AVERTED THE PROBLEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER EXPERIENCE 18 YRS NON RADAR. REPORTER STATED HE HAD WORKED THIS ACFT BEFORE AND WAS RATHER COMPLACENT ABOUT LISTENING TO THE READBACK. BACKGROUND NOISE WAS SPEAKER NOISE BECAUSE MOST CTLRS DO NOT WEAR HEADSETS WHILE WORKING TFC. THERE IS NO FACILITY POLICY REGARDING THIS MATTER. REPORTER STATED HE ALWAYS WEARS HEADSET WHEN WORKING TFC. TYPE ACFT WAS SMA.
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.