2 GA-small aircraft simultaneously cleared to land on same runway from opposite direction. Operation...

Attributes
ACN	99340
Time
Date	198812
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apa
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	99340
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan, ILS runway 35R approach at apa. Active runway was runway 17L. I requested circle to land, was cleared straight in. Simultaneously, an small aircraft Y was cleared to land runway 17L, then told to go around. The small aircraft Y did not acknowledge nor execute the go around (radio failure?). Both aircraft slowed, taxied and turned off at the same intersection. The incident would have been avoided if the aircraft on counter traffic instrument approach was cleared circle to land or refused the straight in or aircraft were never cleared to land simultaneously same runway opp directions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the controller apologized for the foul up but did not seem too concerned. No further information on why other aircraft did not go around when advised. Has been at ada since and noted they are still landing both direction, but not simultaneously. Suspects ATC tower controllers did not want to hear anymore about incident and reporter has had no follow up from FAA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 GA-SMA SIMULTANEOUSLY CLEARED TO LAND ON SAME RWY FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTION. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, ILS RWY 35R APCH AT APA. ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 17L. I REQUESTED CIRCLE TO LAND, WAS CLRED STRAIGHT IN. SIMULTANEOUSLY, AN SMA Y WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 17L, THEN TOLD TO GO AROUND. THE SMA Y DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE NOR EXECUTE THE GO AROUND (RADIO FAILURE?). BOTH ACFT SLOWED, TAXIED AND TURNED OFF AT THE SAME INTXN. THE INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE ACFT ON COUNTER TFC INSTRUMENT APCH WAS CLRED CIRCLE TO LAND OR REFUSED THE STRAIGHT IN OR ACFT WERE NEVER CLRED TO LAND SIMULTANEOUSLY SAME RWY OPP DIRECTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR THE FOUL UP BUT DID NOT SEEM TOO CONCERNED. NO FURTHER INFO ON WHY OTHER ACFT DID NOT GO AROUND WHEN ADVISED. HAS BEEN AT ADA SINCE AND NOTED THEY ARE STILL LNDG BOTH DIRECTION, BUT NOT SIMULTANEOUSLY. SUSPECTS ATC TWR CTLRS DID NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE ABOUT INCIDENT AND RPTR HAS HAD NO FOLLOW UP FROM FAA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

2 GA-small aircraft simultaneously cleared to land on same runway from opposite direction. Operational error.