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B737 captain alleges preferential treatment of competitor air carrier, causing a go around, which ultimately resulted in an near midair collision east of sjc airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 595404 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200309 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sjc.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sjc.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sjc.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 595404 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : sjc.tower |
Narrative:
Over the yrs of flying on the west coast, I've noticed a trend whereby a competitor airline appears to receive preferential handling by ATC. On numerous occasions, while approaching an airport, I've received a delay vector, a speed reduction, or both so as to sequence a competitor aircraft in front of me. While this generally doesn't prove too much of an inconvenience, today was not the case. For my second consecutive arrival at sjc (end of a 4 day sequence), I've been directed to 'go around' by sjc tower because a competitor aircraft failed to clear the runway in a timely manner. Executing a go around at sjc on a saturday morning is very dangerous due to the sfo class B airspace, the proximity of the surrounding terrain and the effect they have on funneling VFR traffic near sjc airport. The result of our experience today was an near midair collision with a light aircraft east of sjc.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 CAPT ALLEGES PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF COMPETITOR ACR, CAUSING A GAR, WHICH ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN AN NMAC E OF SJC ARPT.
Narrative: OVER THE YRS OF FLYING ON THE WEST COAST, I'VE NOTICED A TREND WHEREBY A COMPETITOR AIRLINE APPEARS TO RECEIVE PREFERENTIAL HANDLING BY ATC. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, WHILE APCHING AN ARPT, I'VE RECEIVED A DELAY VECTOR, A SPD REDUCTION, OR BOTH SO AS TO SEQUENCE A COMPETITOR ACFT IN FRONT OF ME. WHILE THIS GENERALLY DOESN'T PROVE TOO MUCH OF AN INCONVENIENCE, TODAY WAS NOT THE CASE. FOR MY SECOND CONSECUTIVE ARR AT SJC (END OF A 4 DAY SEQUENCE), I'VE BEEN DIRECTED TO 'GO AROUND' BY SJC TWR BECAUSE A COMPETITOR ACFT FAILED TO CLR THE RWY IN A TIMELY MANNER. EXECUTING A GO AROUND AT SJC ON A SATURDAY MORNING IS VERY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE SFO CLASS B AIRSPACE, THE PROX OF THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN AND THE EFFECT THEY HAVE ON FUNNELING VFR TFC NEAR SJC ARPT. THE RESULT OF OUR EXPERIENCE TODAY WAS AN NMAC WITH A LIGHT ACFT E OF SJC.
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.