A B727 cargo flight's takeoff on runway 27 is delayed when in position and hold due to a dead spot on airport that prevented the flight crew from receiving takeoff clrncs from the tower at mem, tn.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	535316
Time
Date	200201
Day	Wed
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mem.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff ground : position and hold ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	535316
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic flight crew : executed go around
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport ATC Facility ATC Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	communication equipment : mem.tower procedure or policy : mem.tower
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Flight was mem-fnt. During taxi to runway 27, we called ATC to let them know we were ready for takeoff. We were told position and hold runway 27, landing traffic was B727 2 mi outside marker inbound. We noticed the aircraft on final and remarked that 'he appears closer than reported.' we waited what seemed like an eternity when we decided to ask ATC what was up. When we told the controller we were 'still' position and hold, he remarked 'yeah, I know,' and then gave a heading and altitude to the aircraft on final and landing instruction to one of the parallel runways. The tower came back to us and informed us that he had tried to call us twice to give takeoff clearance, but we never replied. We advised the tower that we never received his calls. All crew members were very proactive in monitoring the radio because we all remarked that we were uneasy about how long we had been sitting there. During climb out, the controller told us that he was aware of several 'dead spots' on the field, and we may have just been in one of them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 CARGO FLT'S TKOF ON RWY 27 IS DELAYED WHEN IN POS AND HOLD DUE TO A DEAD SPOT ON ARPT THAT PREVENTED THE FLC FROM RECEIVING TKOF CLRNCS FROM THE TWR AT MEM, TN.

Narrative: FLT WAS MEM-FNT. DURING TAXI TO RWY 27, WE CALLED ATC TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. WE WERE TOLD POS AND HOLD RWY 27, LNDG TFC WAS B727 2 MI OUTSIDE MARKER INBOUND. WE NOTICED THE ACFT ON FINAL AND REMARKED THAT 'HE APPEARS CLOSER THAN RPTED.' WE WAITED WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY WHEN WE DECIDED TO ASK ATC WHAT WAS UP. WHEN WE TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE 'STILL' POS AND HOLD, HE REMARKED 'YEAH, I KNOW,' AND THEN GAVE A HDG AND ALT TO THE ACFT ON FINAL AND LNDG INSTRUCTION TO ONE OF THE PARALLEL RWYS. THE TWR CAME BACK TO US AND INFORMED US THAT HE HAD TRIED TO CALL US TWICE TO GIVE TKOF CLRNC, BUT WE NEVER REPLIED. WE ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE NEVER RECEIVED HIS CALLS. ALL CREW MEMBERS WERE VERY PROACTIVE IN MONITORING THE RADIO BECAUSE WE ALL REMARKED THAT WE WERE UNEASY ABOUT HOW LONG WE HAD BEEN SITTING THERE. DURING CLBOUT, THE CTLR TOLD US THAT HE WAS AWARE OF SEVERAL 'DEAD SPOTS' ON THE FIELD, AND WE MAY HAVE JUST BEEN IN ONE OF THEM.

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.