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A B757 crew, base to final for runway 24R at lax, was unable to communicate with socal due to the controller's task saturation. Their first concern was they could not make a tight enough turn for final without flying through the centerline into the approach of a B747. Also, they switched to tower without being handed off since they could not speak to the controller.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 454717 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199911 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lax.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sct.tracon tower : boi.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 24r |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sct.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 12810 flight time type : 2400 |
| ASRS Report | 454717 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 167 flight time total : 3945 flight time type : 137 |
| ASRS Report | 454410 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to original clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : sct.tracon staffing : sct.tracon |
| Airspace Structure | class b : lax.b |
Narrative:
Socal approach was so busy that on 3 occasions, when people checked on frequency, he told everyone to stand by. We were cleared for visual after a turn with 90 degree intercept to runway 24R. No preceding traffic was advised. Controller was lining aircraft up to both runway 24L&right runways for simultaneous approachs. Traffic was also landing runway 25L. We turned final, at a standard rate, from our assigned heading as soon as we were cleared for the visual approach. The vector was too tight and we flew through the final for both runway 24L&right. No traffic conflict occurred either for the runway 24 complex or the runway 25 complex. However, a B747 was lining up for the parallel runway 24L. We did fly through his final. Controller was so busy, many aircraft (including us) switched over to the tower without being instructed to do so. We were inside the FAF when we did. There was no gap on approach frequency to ask to switch. Controller was doing best he could but was task-saturated. I don't know how his airspace became so full. We had a delay and wheels up time in sfo. Supplemental information from acn 454410: dusk lighting conditions made us exert way too much effort trying to spot the numerous traffic and making sure we were following the correct airplane.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757 CREW, BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 24R AT LAX, WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH SOCAL DUE TO THE CTLR'S TASK SATURATION. THEIR FIRST CONCERN WAS THEY COULD NOT MAKE A TIGHT ENOUGH TURN FOR FINAL WITHOUT FLYING THROUGH THE CTRLINE INTO THE APCH OF A B747. ALSO, THEY SWITCHED TO TWR WITHOUT BEING HANDED OFF SINCE THEY COULD NOT SPEAK TO THE CTLR.
Narrative: SOCAL APCH WAS SO BUSY THAT ON 3 OCCASIONS, WHEN PEOPLE CHKED ON FREQ, HE TOLD EVERYONE TO STAND BY. WE WERE CLRED FOR VISUAL AFTER A TURN WITH 90 DEG INTERCEPT TO RWY 24R. NO PRECEDING TFC WAS ADVISED. CTLR WAS LINING ACFT UP TO BOTH RWY 24L&R RWYS FOR SIMULTANEOUS APCHS. TFC WAS ALSO LNDG RWY 25L. WE TURNED FINAL, AT A STANDARD RATE, FROM OUR ASSIGNED HDG AS SOON AS WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. THE VECTOR WAS TOO TIGHT AND WE FLEW THROUGH THE FINAL FOR BOTH RWY 24L&R. NO TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED EITHER FOR THE RWY 24 COMPLEX OR THE RWY 25 COMPLEX. HOWEVER, A B747 WAS LINING UP FOR THE PARALLEL RWY 24L. WE DID FLY THROUGH HIS FINAL. CTLR WAS SO BUSY, MANY ACFT (INCLUDING US) SWITCHED OVER TO THE TWR WITHOUT BEING INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. WE WERE INSIDE THE FAF WHEN WE DID. THERE WAS NO GAP ON APCH FREQ TO ASK TO SWITCH. CTLR WAS DOING BEST HE COULD BUT WAS TASK-SATURATED. I DON'T KNOW HOW HIS AIRSPACE BECAME SO FULL. WE HAD A DELAY AND WHEELS UP TIME IN SFO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 454410: DUSK LIGHTING CONDITIONS MADE US EXERT WAY TOO MUCH EFFORT TRYING TO SPOT THE NUMEROUS TFC AND MAKING SURE WE WERE FOLLOWING THE CORRECT AIRPLANE.
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.