Narrative:

As a flight instrument, I teach my students to takeoff into the wind for all of the obvious performance reasons. It's considered good pilot technique. Yet, increasingly, as I fly a jet transport as a professional airline captain, ATC forces me to takeoff with tailwinds in excess of 5 KTS. It's becoming 'routine' to require air carrier's to depart with a 10 KT tailwind due to noise considerations, expediting traffic flow, etc. It's a very bad precedent to set. Major safety questions are raised! Today in ind, the winds were reported as 100 degrees at 8-10 KTS. Yet, ATC was using runway 23L and right for departures. When I asked the ATC ground controller to use runway 05L or runway 05R, due to 'safety considerations.' he told me twice to, 'stop whining.' later, ATC advised us that runway 05L/05R could be worked out, but that, 'our flight would take a substantial delay.' it used to be that winds less than 5 KTS. Tailwinds were the criteria for a tailwind takeoff requirement. Ind ground control indicates that they now use a 10 KT tailwind as the 'norm' for 'routine.' handling of traffic. Today in day, they were also departing with up to 10 KTS in tailwind. Has safety taken a back seat? In pit last week, in the landing confign, I was barely able to keep the engines spooled, although our approach speed was reference + 15 KTS (indicated), due to the stronger tailwind aloft, although the tailwind on the surface, have been less than the 10 KTS restriction. ATC many times does not even consider what the wind is doing above the trees at each end of the runway. When will the FAA step in and stop this poor example, and potentially unsafe tailwind takeoff and landing situation? As an air carrier captain, I have to 'go' because the charts say I'm legal--until I may have an accident when the 'report' will criticize my tailwind takeoff as poor pilot judgement and technique. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter is upset over tailwind operations. He thinks the old 5 KT maximum was more than enough. He talked about the policy at las which denies takeoff on runway 7 because of noise abatement. The only solution he offered was education of controllers to give them an idea of the possible ramifications of shooting downwind approachs, for example, the difficulty of keeping the engines spooled up and conducting a stabilizing approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER CLAIMS POLICY FORCING TKOF AND LNDG IN TAILWINDS UP TO 10 KTS IS DANGEROUS.

Narrative: AS A FLT INSTR, I TEACH MY STUDENTS TO TKOF INTO THE WIND FOR ALL OF THE OBVIOUS PERFORMANCE REASONS. IT'S CONSIDERED GOOD PLT TECHNIQUE. YET, INCREASINGLY, AS I FLY A JET TRANSPORT AS A PROFESSIONAL AIRLINE CAPT, ATC FORCES ME TO TKOF WITH TAILWINDS IN EXCESS OF 5 KTS. IT'S BECOMING 'ROUTINE' TO REQUIRE ACR'S TO DEPART WITH A 10 KT TAILWIND DUE TO NOISE CONSIDERATIONS, EXPEDITING TFC FLOW, ETC. IT'S A VERY BAD PRECEDENT TO SET. MAJOR SAFETY QUESTIONS ARE RAISED! TODAY IN IND, THE WINDS WERE RPTED AS 100 DEGS AT 8-10 KTS. YET, ATC WAS USING RWY 23L AND R FOR DEPS. WHEN I ASKED THE ATC GND CTLR TO USE RWY 05L OR RWY 05R, DUE TO 'SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS.' HE TOLD ME TWICE TO, 'STOP WHINING.' LATER, ATC ADVISED US THAT RWY 05L/05R COULD BE WORKED OUT, BUT THAT, 'OUR FLT WOULD TAKE A SUBSTANTIAL DELAY.' IT USED TO BE THAT WINDS LESS THAN 5 KTS. TAILWINDS WERE THE CRITERIA FOR A TAILWIND TKOF REQUIREMENT. IND GND CTL INDICATES THAT THEY NOW USE A 10 KT TAILWIND AS THE 'NORM' FOR 'ROUTINE.' HANDLING OF TFC. TODAY IN DAY, THEY WERE ALSO DEPARTING WITH UP TO 10 KTS IN TAILWIND. HAS SAFETY TAKEN A BACK SEAT? IN PIT LAST WK, IN THE LNDG CONFIGN, I WAS BARELY ABLE TO KEEP THE ENGS SPOOLED, ALTHOUGH OUR APCH SPD WAS REF + 15 KTS (INDICATED), DUE TO THE STRONGER TAILWIND ALOFT, ALTHOUGH THE TAILWIND ON THE SURFACE, HAVE BEEN LESS THAN THE 10 KTS RESTRICTION. ATC MANY TIMES DOES NOT EVEN CONSIDER WHAT THE WIND IS DOING ABOVE THE TREES AT EACH END OF THE RWY. WHEN WILL THE FAA STEP IN AND STOP THIS POOR EXAMPLE, AND POTENTIALLY UNSAFE TAILWIND TKOF AND LNDG SITUATION? AS AN ACR CAPT, I HAVE TO 'GO' BECAUSE THE CHARTS SAY I'M LEGAL--UNTIL I MAY HAVE AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE 'RPT' WILL CRITICIZE MY TAILWIND TKOF AS POOR PLT JUDGEMENT AND TECHNIQUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR IS UPSET OVER TAILWIND OPS. HE THINKS THE OLD 5 KT MAX WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH. HE TALKED ABOUT THE POLICY AT LAS WHICH DENIES TKOF ON RWY 7 BECAUSE OF NOISE ABATEMENT. THE ONLY SOLUTION HE OFFERED WAS EDUCATION OF CTLRS TO GIVE THEM AN IDEA OF THE POSSIBLE RAMIFICATIONS OF SHOOTING DOWNWIND APCHS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DIFFICULTY OF KEEPING THE ENGS SPOOLED UP AND CONDUCTING A STABILIZING APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.