CAPT OF AN MLG ACR ACFT CHALLENGES THE TWR REGARDING THE SAFETY OF RELEASING CLRING ANOTHER ACFT FOR TKOF ON AN INTERSECTING RWY.

Date: 1993-10 · Aircraft: Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

CAPT OF AN MLG ACR ACFT CHALLENGES THE TWR REGARDING THE SAFETY OF RELEASING CLRING ANOTHER ACFT FOR TKOF ON AN INTERSECTING RWY.

Narrative

ON SHORT FINAL AS DESCRIBED ABOVE; AN ACFT ON THE XING RWY 31 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. SINCE I WAS FLYING AND IN THE PROCESS OF ROUNDING OUT FOR TOUCHDOWN; I LOOKED (GLANCED) OVER AT WHERE THE ACFT FOR TKOF WAS. I COULD NOT TELL; AND THE THOUGHT THEN WAS 'SURELY THE CLRED FOR TKOF ACFT CANNOT REACH THE INTXN OF THE RWYS BEFORE WE DO' -- I HOPE; SINCE OUR ONLY CHOICE WAS TO GAR BELOW 50 FT AND FLY THROUGH THE INTXN. AFTER SLOWING ON THE ROLLOUT; THE CTLR WAS QUERIED. SAYS HE; 'NORMAL PROC; YOU GOT A PROB; CALL THE TWR.' I SPOKE WITH THE TWR SUPVR. GOT A BUNCH OF MUMBO-JUMBO ABOUT TXWY U AND TKOF CLRNC BEING ISSUED SINCE ACFT 'IN POS' COULDN'T SPOOL UP; ACCELERATE; AND REACH THE INTXN BEFORE THE LNDG ACFT HAD CLRED. THIS MUST BE DONE TO EXPEDITE TFC. ALL OF THE ABOVE WAS AND IS TRUE. I AGREED BUT WE WERE; AT BEST; OVER THE APCH LIGHTS WHEN CLRNC WAS ISSUED FOR XING ACFT TO TAKE OFF. THE SUPVR SAID; 'IF THAT IS TRUE; I WILL HAVE TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE CTLR.' TO FURTHER CLARIFY; OUR ACFT TOUCHED DOWN; ON SPD; ON THE 1000 FT MARKS; SO THAT SPD WAS NOT AN EXTRAORDINARY FACTOR. I POINT THIS OUT SINCE THE SUPVR INDICATED THAT TKOF CLRNCS WERE ISSUED WITH ACFT STILL AIRBORNE SINCE THEY (TWR) COULDN'T CTL WHERE ACFT LANDED. OBVIOUSLY; BOTH TWR PERSONNEL WERE QUITE DEFENSIVE; AS THEY PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

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