<< >> NASA ASRS Report 458010, December 1999

ATCT controller at sfo, in issuing an instruction to a departure, paused in his delivery, giving the instruction a different meaning.

Attributes
ACN	458010
Time
Date	199912
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	AB
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo.tower tower : dfw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : sfo8.sfo
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : o90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 26000 flight time type : 7500
ASRS Report	458010
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon receiving takeoff clearance, sfo tower modified the sfo 8 SID to fly runway heading (010 degrees). Upon climbing through 1000 ft MSL, sfo tower instructed us to do the following: 'air carrier X start your turn to heading 030 degrees (same as sfo 8 SID) (pause/breath) at 4000 ft contact bay approach on 120.9.' what the tower meant to say was 'start your turn to heading 030 degrees at 4000 ft. Contact bay approach on 120.9. Depending on where the pause/breath was taken, the instructions from sfo tower have different implications. After contacting bay approach, they asked our heading and advised us of traffic 3 mi ahead and climbing. We acknowledged the traffic in sight and asked if they wanted us back on a 010 degree heading. Several seconds went by, then bay approach assigned us a heading of 350 degrees, direct red bluff when able. No further incident was noted on the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT CTLR AT SFO, IN ISSUING AN INSTRUCTION TO A DEP, PAUSED IN HIS DELIVERY, GIVING THE INSTRUCTION A DIFFERENT MEANING.

Narrative: UPON RECEIVING TKOF CLRNC, SFO TWR MODIFIED THE SFO 8 SID TO FLY RWY HDG (010 DEGS). UPON CLBING THROUGH 1000 FT MSL, SFO TWR INSTRUCTED US TO DO THE FOLLOWING: 'ACR X START YOUR TURN TO HDG 030 DEGS (SAME AS SFO 8 SID) (PAUSE/BREATH) AT 4000 FT CONTACT BAY APCH ON 120.9.' WHAT THE TWR MEANT TO SAY WAS 'START YOUR TURN TO HDG 030 DEGS AT 4000 FT. CONTACT BAY APCH ON 120.9. DEPENDING ON WHERE THE PAUSE/BREATH WAS TAKEN, THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM SFO TWR HAVE DIFFERENT IMPLICATIONS. AFTER CONTACTING BAY APCH, THEY ASKED OUR HDG AND ADVISED US OF TFC 3 MI AHEAD AND CLBING. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE TFC IN SIGHT AND ASKED IF THEY WANTED US BACK ON A 010 DEG HDG. SEVERAL SECONDS WENT BY, THEN BAY APCH ASSIGNED US A HDG OF 350 DEGS, DIRECT RED BLUFF WHEN ABLE. NO FURTHER INCIDENT WAS NOTED ON THE FLT.

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.