<< >> NASA ASRS Report 466080, March 2000

Atl local controller issues immediate takeoff or clear runway when B727 pilot requests 2 mins for preceding L1011 departure instead of 5 mi.

Attributes
ACN	466080
Time
Date	200003
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	L-1011 Tri-Star All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	466080
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : wake turbulence non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

After our flight was instructed by the tower to taxi into position and hold, we acknowledged the clearance and simultaneously requested 2 mins for wake turbulence separation since we were following an L1011 aircraft. The tower controller responded to us by transmitting that 'you will get 5 mi.' thinking that perhaps he did not understand that we were really requesting the 2 mins of separation, the first officer repeated the request. The controller once again responded that we would get 5 mi. When issuing the takeoff clearance, the controller instructed that we were cleared for immediate takeoff, or to taxi clear of the runway. (I was not yet satisfied with the amount of time which had elapsed.) given this operating environment, I thought this particular kind of ATC handling created an air of intimidation, discomfort, and inappropriateness. I thought that our request was a perfectly reasonable one given the conditions, and wished that it could have been simply honored.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATL LCL CTLR ISSUES IMMEDIATE TKOF OR CLR RWY WHEN B727 PLT REQUESTS 2 MINS FOR PRECEDING L1011 DEP INSTEAD OF 5 MI.

Narrative: AFTER OUR FLT WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND SIMULTANEOUSLY REQUESTED 2 MINS FOR WAKE TURB SEPARATION SINCE WE WERE FOLLOWING AN L1011 ACFT. THE TWR CTLR RESPONDED TO US BY XMITTING THAT 'YOU WILL GET 5 MI.' THINKING THAT PERHAPS HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE REALLY REQUESTING THE 2 MINS OF SEPARATION, THE FO REPEATED THE REQUEST. THE CTLR ONCE AGAIN RESPONDED THAT WE WOULD GET 5 MI. WHEN ISSUING THE TKOF CLRNC, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF, OR TO TAXI CLR OF THE RWY. (I WAS NOT YET SATISFIED WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME WHICH HAD ELAPSED.) GIVEN THIS OPERATING ENVIRONMENT, I THOUGHT THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF ATC HANDLING CREATED AN AIR OF INTIMIDATION, DISCOMFORT, AND INAPPROPRIATENESS. I THOUGHT THAT OUR REQUEST WAS A PERFECTLY REASONABLE ONE GIVEN THE CONDITIONS, AND WISHED THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN SIMPLY HONORED.

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.