ACR RPTR TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AT JFK IS CLRED ACROSS RWY; BUT STOPBAR LIGHTS REMAIN RED. PLT HOLDS AND ADVISES ATC. CTLR INDICATES HE FORGOT TO CHANGE STOPBARS TO GREEN.

Date: 1992-02 · Aircraft: Widebody; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

ACR RPTR TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AT JFK IS CLRED ACROSS RWY; BUT STOPBAR LIGHTS REMAIN RED. PLT HOLDS AND ADVISES ATC. CTLR INDICATES HE FORGOT TO CHANGE STOPBARS TO GREEN.

Narrative

I HAVE THE DEFINITE PERCEPTION THAT THE GND CTLR ATTEMPTED TO ENTICE A RWY INCURSION VIOLATION BY HAVING ME CROSS RWY 22R AT JFK WHILE THE RED TAXI STOP BAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. INITIALLY WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 22R FOR TKOF. RVR 700-800-700. SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING TO TAXI; WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE TKOF RWY WAS BEING CHANGED TO RWY 31L. WE HAD JUST CROSSED THE OUTER TAXIWAY ON B TAXIWAY; SO OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE: 'TURN R ON 13L R ON D L ON THE INNER AND HOLD SHORT OF G FOR RWY 31L.' WE READ BACK THE CLRNC AND PROCEEDED! THE FOG WAS SO DENSE WE COULD NOT SEE RWY 22R FROM OUR HOLDING POS; SO WE PROCEEDED SLOWLY USING THE GREEN TAXI LIGHTS. AFTER MAKING THE L TURN ON G AND APCHING THE OUTER; WE SAW THE RED LIGHTS OF THE STOP BAR AND DID JUST THAT; -- STOPPED. I ASKED THE FO TO INFORM THE CTLR THAT WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 22R AT THE RED STOP BAR WHICH HE DID. THE CTLR CAME BACK WITH A CURT; IMPATIENT REPLY: 'CROSS RWY 22R R ON Z; HOLD SHORT OF J FOR 31L' AS IF WE HAD MISSED HIS FIRST CLRNC. AFTER A BRIEF BUT QUICK DISCUSSION WITH THE FO AND ABOUT THE TIME I WAS GOING TO ASK THE CTLR IF THE STOP BARS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY; THE CTLR CAME BACK ON SAYING: 'OH; ARE THEY STILL RED?' AT WHICH TIME THE BARS TURNED GREEN AND WE CONTINUED TO TAXI PER CLRNC. THE TIME INTERVAL INVOLVED WOULD HAVE GIVEN US PLENTY OF TIME TO HAVE CROSSED THE RWY HAD WE DISREGARDED THE RED STOP BAR AND JUST FOLLOWED THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. I BELIEVE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS ATTEMPTED HERE ON THIS FOGGY MORNING AT JFK AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT HAD I DONE IT; I WOULD HAVE BEEN VIOLATED BY THE TWR FOR A RWY INCURSION. AND YOU NOR ANYONE ELSE WILL EVER CONVINCE ME THAT THIS WAS NOT A SET UP READ THE LAST SENTENCE UNDER STOP BAR SYS ON JKD 20-9 PAGE ENCLOSED. IT IS HARD ENOUGH TO GET A PLANE LOAD OF UNSUSPECTING AND TRUSTING PAXS FROM POINT A TO B SAFELY IN TODAY'S SHAMBLES WE REFER TO AS 'ATC' WITHOUT THIS TYPE OF BS TAKING PLACE. IT MUST STOP AND STOP NOW! I AM NOW WONDERING HOW MANY OF THE RWY INCURSION VIOLATIONS AT JFK WERE SET UP'S AS THIS ATTEMPT CERTAINLY WAS A SET UP!

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.