Narrative:

On jul/sat/05 at approximately XA00Z; we encountered what appeared to be an extremely stressed ATC controller. While on an IFR flight plan from agc to iad; we were told by potomac approach to expect runway 1L and noted that the ATIS was calling for winds out of the northwest. We requested runway 1R because we were going to an FBO and subsequently informed both potomac approach controllers; who gave us clrncs to depart gilby; first at 190 degrees and then 140 degrees; that we would be willing to land long if that would help. Approach told us that they had plenty of space and that we could expect runway 1R. A few mins after departing gilby on a 140 degree heading; we passed the airport to the southeast. We were then given sequential headings to ultimately turn us 270 degrees to the right and told to follow the rj in front of us. We followed the regional jet in and encountered a bit of wake turbulence on final. Because of the wake turbulence and our attempt to keep our flight path above that of the regional jet that just landed; the multiple taxiway closures off of runway 1R; our numerous prior experiences landing on this runway and being requested to land long; and trying to be helpful by getting out of the way as expeditiously as possible; we proceeded to land long; crossing the threshold high and at approximately 100 KTS. Within seconds of our wheels touching down; we were abruptly asked if we could turn off the next 'high speed' taxiway; which by the end of this same transmission was abeam our left wing and blocked with traffic cones. We politely informed the controller that we were unable to do so; which resulted in immediate criticism and condemnation for our efforts to help and get out of the way. He told us that a heavy jet had to do a go around because of us. We politely apologized for anything we might have done and were told to take down a telephone number to call. After shutting down the aircraft; I immediately called the number and was interrogated by the controller without any explanation on his part as to why he wanted me to call him. I informed him that I hoped that the reason for the phone call was an apology for the controller's rudeness. While I was speaking to the supervisor on the phone; 2 line guys were pushing back our brand new aircraft and unpacking the airplane; and my friend was trying to talk to me. I asked my other friend; 'do you want to talk to this *&%$#?' the controller on the phone immediately assumed I was referring to him; despite the fact I told him that I was not. The controller then asked me whether I owned the plane and what my address was; but would not tell me what the purpose of the phone call was. Wanting to end the conversation; I said that before I gave him my home address; I first wanted to know why I was told to call the tower in the first place. He then repeated that I called him an *&%$# and I again told him that I was not referring to him; and asked him yet again why I was asked to call the tower. He refused to tell me why and yet continued to interrogate me about my personal information and reiterated that I called him an *&%$#. He then said he was going to have to '...send this to FSDO...if that's the way we're going to do this....' I fly into dulles and other large; international airports frequently and I have never had a problem. I have a great deal of respect for the ATC controllers and the inherent stress that they are under. In general; I've found the controllers at dulles to be professional; courteous; helpful; and very good at what they do. However; this was a very unprofessional encounter and I don't appreciate being put on the defensive for this incident or having an ATC controller blame me for his inability to maintain adequate spacing of arrs. In summary; if the controller had communicated his spacing requirements as they related to me before I was over the numbers like they usually do (e.g.; 'keep your speed up;' 'land short;' 'go around;' etc) this situation could have been prevented. I believe better communication between controllers and pilots and also between tower controllers and approach controllers could prevent a recurrence in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20P LNDG AT IAD IS CRITICIZED BY ATC FOR NOT MAKING A TXWY TURN OFF AND CAUSING A GAR.

Narrative: ON JUL/SAT/05 AT APPROX XA00Z; WE ENCOUNTERED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN EXTREMELY STRESSED ATC CTLR. WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM AGC TO IAD; WE WERE TOLD BY POTOMAC APCH TO EXPECT RWY 1L AND NOTED THAT THE ATIS WAS CALLING FOR WINDS OUT OF THE NW. WE REQUESTED RWY 1R BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO AN FBO AND SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED BOTH POTOMAC APCH CTLRS; WHO GAVE US CLRNCS TO DEPART GILBY; FIRST AT 190 DEGS AND THEN 140 DEGS; THAT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO LAND LONG IF THAT WOULD HELP. APCH TOLD US THAT THEY HAD PLENTY OF SPACE AND THAT WE COULD EXPECT RWY 1R. A FEW MINS AFTER DEPARTING GILBY ON A 140 DEG HDG; WE PASSED THE ARPT TO THE SE. WE WERE THEN GIVEN SEQUENTIAL HDGS TO ULTIMATELY TURN US 270 DEGS TO THE R AND TOLD TO FOLLOW THE RJ IN FRONT OF US. WE FOLLOWED THE REGIONAL JET IN AND ENCOUNTERED A BIT OF WAKE TURB ON FINAL. BECAUSE OF THE WAKE TURB AND OUR ATTEMPT TO KEEP OUR FLT PATH ABOVE THAT OF THE REGIONAL JET THAT JUST LANDED; THE MULTIPLE TXWY CLOSURES OFF OF RWY 1R; OUR NUMEROUS PRIOR EXPERIENCES LNDG ON THIS RWY AND BEING REQUESTED TO LAND LONG; AND TRYING TO BE HELPFUL BY GETTING OUT OF THE WAY AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE; WE PROCEEDED TO LAND LONG; XING THE THRESHOLD HIGH AND AT APPROX 100 KTS. WITHIN SECONDS OF OUR WHEELS TOUCHING DOWN; WE WERE ABRUPTLY ASKED IF WE COULD TURN OFF THE NEXT 'HIGH SPD' TXWY; WHICH BY THE END OF THIS SAME XMISSION WAS ABEAM OUR L WING AND BLOCKED WITH TFC CONES. WE POLITELY INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO DO SO; WHICH RESULTED IN IMMEDIATE CRITICISM AND CONDEMNATION FOR OUR EFFORTS TO HELP AND GET OUT OF THE WAY. HE TOLD US THAT A HVY JET HAD TO DO A GAR BECAUSE OF US. WE POLITELY APOLOGIZED FOR ANYTHING WE MIGHT HAVE DONE AND WERE TOLD TO TAKE DOWN A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ACFT; I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE NUMBER AND WAS INTERROGATED BY THE CTLR WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION ON HIS PART AS TO WHY HE WANTED ME TO CALL HIM. I INFORMED HIM THAT I HOPED THAT THE REASON FOR THE PHONE CALL WAS AN APOLOGY FOR THE CTLR'S RUDENESS. WHILE I WAS SPEAKING TO THE SUPVR ON THE PHONE; 2 LINE GUYS WERE PUSHING BACK OUR BRAND NEW ACFT AND UNPACKING THE AIRPLANE; AND MY FRIEND WAS TRYING TO TALK TO ME. I ASKED MY OTHER FRIEND; 'DO YOU WANT TO TALK TO THIS *&%$#?' THE CTLR ON THE PHONE IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED I WAS REFERRING TO HIM; DESPITE THE FACT I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS NOT. THE CTLR THEN ASKED ME WHETHER I OWNED THE PLANE AND WHAT MY ADDRESS WAS; BUT WOULD NOT TELL ME WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE PHONE CALL WAS. WANTING TO END THE CONVERSATION; I SAID THAT BEFORE I GAVE HIM MY HOME ADDRESS; I FIRST WANTED TO KNOW WHY I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE TWR IN THE FIRST PLACE. HE THEN REPEATED THAT I CALLED HIM AN *&%$# AND I AGAIN TOLD HIM THAT I WAS NOT REFERRING TO HIM; AND ASKED HIM YET AGAIN WHY I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR. HE REFUSED TO TELL ME WHY AND YET CONTINUED TO INTERROGATE ME ABOUT MY PERSONAL INFO AND REITERATED THAT I CALLED HIM AN *&%$#. HE THEN SAID HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO '...SEND THIS TO FSDO...IF THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS....' I FLY INTO DULLES AND OTHER LARGE; INTL ARPTS FREQUENTLY AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROB. I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT FOR THE ATC CTLRS AND THE INHERENT STRESS THAT THEY ARE UNDER. IN GENERAL; I'VE FOUND THE CTLRS AT DULLES TO BE PROFESSIONAL; COURTEOUS; HELPFUL; AND VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. HOWEVER; THIS WAS A VERY UNPROFESSIONAL ENCOUNTER AND I DON'T APPRECIATE BEING PUT ON THE DEFENSIVE FOR THIS INCIDENT OR HAVING AN ATC CTLR BLAME ME FOR HIS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SPACING OF ARRS. IN SUMMARY; IF THE CTLR HAD COMMUNICATED HIS SPACING REQUIREMENTS AS THEY RELATED TO ME BEFORE I WAS OVER THE NUMBERS LIKE THEY USUALLY DO (E.G.; 'KEEP YOUR SPD UP;' 'LAND SHORT;' 'GO AROUND;' ETC) THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. I BELIEVE BETTER COM BTWN CTLRS AND PLTS AND ALSO BTWN TWR CTLRS AND APCH CTLRS COULD PREVENT A RECURRENCE IN THE FUTURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.