Narrative:

Air carrier X was on final for ILS runway 9L; sidestep to runway 9R. Air carrier Y on final for ILS runway 10. Air carrier X reports runway 9R in sight and instead; flies towards runway 10. This seems to occur once or twice a week at atl. Runway 9R/27L was built 4200 ft from the new runway 10/28. According to the FAA regulations; the runways must be 4300 ft apart to conduct simultaneous operations. Rather than allow a waiver for the 100 ft; the FAA is forcing pilots and controllers to conduct an approach to a departure runway (9L/27R) full of airplanes; and at the last min; sidestep to the adjacent runway 9R/27L. The pilots are having to transition from a precision approach to hand flying the aircraft and are mistakenly aiming for the wrong runway (10/28). If the WX gets below VFR; the situation becomes more complex as our departure runway (9L/27R) becomes an arrival runway and the arrival runway (9R/27L) is used for departures. This means that in the worst WX conditions; hundreds of departures must cross a busy arrival runway to get their departure runway. In addition to creating the opportunity for a runway incursion or go around's; the pilots have to take off on a runway (9R/27L) that is 3000 ft shorter than (9L/27R); which further reduces the margin of safety. I believe it would be safer for the FAA to allow a waiver for the aircraft to land straight in on all 3 runways (26R; 27L; and 28 or 8L; 9R and 10) rather than require a sidestep. The FAA has created a confusing; complex; and dangerous situation for the pilots and controllers at atlanta tower and TRACON. Supplemental information from acn 714053: ZTL cleared our flight to shoot an ILS to runway 9L sidestep to runway 9R behind a heavy B767. First officer was flying. Near the FAF; the first officer stated he saw the runways and started the sidestep. I noted we had an aircraft on the TCAS to our right at +100 ft. The aircraft was landing runway 10. As the first officer maneuver we encountered some wake turbulence which resulted in the right wing dipping. I directed him to come left more because of the aircraft on the TCAS. We then received a TA from the TCAS on the aircraft to our right. I took control and initiated an immediate go around with a climbing left turn away from traffic.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A80 CTLR DESCRIBED TCAS RA THAT RESULTED FROM APCH PROC THAT REQUIRES ACFT TO SIDESTEP FROM RWY 9L TO RWY 9R TO COMPLY WITH SIMULTANEOUS APCH MINIMUMS.

Narrative: ACR X WAS ON FINAL FOR ILS RWY 9L; SIDESTEP TO RWY 9R. ACR Y ON FINAL FOR ILS RWY 10. ACR X RPTS RWY 9R IN SIGHT AND INSTEAD; FLIES TOWARDS RWY 10. THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK AT ATL. RWY 9R/27L WAS BUILT 4200 FT FROM THE NEW RWY 10/28. ACCORDING TO THE FAA REGS; THE RWYS MUST BE 4300 FT APART TO CONDUCT SIMULTANEOUS OPS. RATHER THAN ALLOW A WAIVER FOR THE 100 FT; THE FAA IS FORCING PLTS AND CTLRS TO CONDUCT AN APCH TO A DEP RWY (9L/27R) FULL OF AIRPLANES; AND AT THE LAST MIN; SIDESTEP TO THE ADJACENT RWY 9R/27L. THE PLTS ARE HAVING TO TRANSITION FROM A PRECISION APCH TO HAND FLYING THE ACFT AND ARE MISTAKENLY AIMING FOR THE WRONG RWY (10/28). IF THE WX GETS BELOW VFR; THE SITUATION BECOMES MORE COMPLEX AS OUR DEP RWY (9L/27R) BECOMES AN ARR RWY AND THE ARR RWY (9R/27L) IS USED FOR DEPS. THIS MEANS THAT IN THE WORST WX CONDITIONS; HUNDREDS OF DEPS MUST CROSS A BUSY ARR RWY TO GET THEIR DEP RWY. IN ADDITION TO CREATING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A RWY INCURSION OR GAR'S; THE PLTS HAVE TO TAKE OFF ON A RWY (9R/27L) THAT IS 3000 FT SHORTER THAN (9L/27R); WHICH FURTHER REDUCES THE MARGIN OF SAFETY. I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE SAFER FOR THE FAA TO ALLOW A WAIVER FOR THE ACFT TO LAND STRAIGHT IN ON ALL 3 RWYS (26R; 27L; AND 28 OR 8L; 9R AND 10) RATHER THAN REQUIRE A SIDESTEP. THE FAA HAS CREATED A CONFUSING; COMPLEX; AND DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE PLTS AND CTLRS AT ATLANTA TWR AND TRACON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 714053: ZTL CLRED OUR FLT TO SHOOT AN ILS TO RWY 9L SIDESTEP TO RWY 9R BEHIND A HVY B767. FO WAS FLYING. NEAR THE FAF; THE FO STATED HE SAW THE RWYS AND STARTED THE SIDESTEP. I NOTED WE HAD AN ACFT ON THE TCAS TO OUR R AT +100 FT. THE ACFT WAS LNDG RWY 10. AS THE FO MANEUVER WE ENCOUNTERED SOME WAKE TURB WHICH RESULTED IN THE R WING DIPPING. I DIRECTED HIM TO COME L MORE BECAUSE OF THE ACFT ON THE TCAS. WE THEN RECEIVED A TA FROM THE TCAS ON THE ACFT TO OUR R. I TOOK CTL AND INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE GAR WITH A CLBING L TURN AWAY FROM TFC.

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.