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As a B727 approachs lga, ny, the instructions from the TRACON are difficult to understand. There is so much talking, moving of chairs, whistling, and other distracting noises that this pilot and other pilots keep asking for instructions to be repeated.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 414420 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lga |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 414420 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On approach control frequency of 120.8 the quality of the communications was terrible. The frequency had lots of backgnd noise. So much that almost every aircraft was asking to repeat instructions! The frequency had lots of people talking in the backgnd, chairs moving, people whistling, etc. Instead of the controller asking the backgnd people to be quiet, she just yelled into the microphone -- this made matters worse. Additionally, the approach in use to lga was the localizer 31. This approach is seldom used so pilots could not anticipate instructions, so it made understanding the controller even harder. The problem is caused by old FAA equipment (do controllers have noise canceling mikes?) and the backgnd noise. I understand that controllers must have camaraderie to stay sane on the job, but a little quieter in the backgnd would go a long way! (Since we know that there is no chance of the FAA fixing the equipment!)
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AS A B727 APCHS LGA, NY, THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TRACON ARE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. THERE IS SO MUCH TALKING, MOVING OF CHAIRS, WHISTLING, AND OTHER DISTRACTING NOISES THAT THIS PLT AND OTHER PLTS KEEP ASKING FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO BE REPEATED.
Narrative: ON APCH CTL FREQ OF 120.8 THE QUALITY OF THE COMS WAS TERRIBLE. THE FREQ HAD LOTS OF BACKGND NOISE. SO MUCH THAT ALMOST EVERY ACFT WAS ASKING TO REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS! THE FREQ HAD LOTS OF PEOPLE TALKING IN THE BACKGND, CHAIRS MOVING, PEOPLE WHISTLING, ETC. INSTEAD OF THE CTLR ASKING THE BACKGND PEOPLE TO BE QUIET, SHE JUST YELLED INTO THE MIKE -- THIS MADE MATTERS WORSE. ADDITIONALLY, THE APCH IN USE TO LGA WAS THE LOC 31. THIS APCH IS SELDOM USED SO PLTS COULD NOT ANTICIPATE INSTRUCTIONS, SO IT MADE UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR EVEN HARDER. THE PROB IS CAUSED BY OLD FAA EQUIP (DO CTLRS HAVE NOISE CANCELING MIKES?) AND THE BACKGND NOISE. I UNDERSTAND THAT CTLRS MUST HAVE CAMARADERIE TO STAY SANE ON THE JOB, BUT A LITTLE QUIETER IN THE BACKGND WOULD GO A LONG WAY! (SINCE WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NO CHANCE OF THE FAA FIXING THE EQUIP!)
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.