ATC/FLC MISCOM. APCH RWY CONFUSION WITH MULTIPLE RWY CHANGES.

Date: 1995-11 · Aircraft: DC-10 30F

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

ATC/FLC MISCOM. APCH RWY CONFUSION WITH MULTIPLE RWY CHANGES.

Narrative

THIS ENTIRE ARR SEQUENCE TO MEM VIA THE MIDDY ARR; AND VECTORS TO FINAL CONSTITUTE THE SIT. AS OFTEN OCCURS DURING THE ARR TIME SLOT SURROUNDING XA00; WE WERE VECTORED FOR SEQUENCING TO MEM ON AND OFF THE MIDDY ARR. HAVING BEEN CLRED FOR THE MIDDY ARR; WE WERE VECTORED OFF THE INBOUND RADIAL; AND THEN VECTORED BACK TOWARD IT WITH A CLRNC TO 'INTERCEPT THE MEM 046 DEG RADIAL; CROSS MIDDY AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS.' SINCE THE MEM ARTCC HAD HELD US UP AT FL350 UNTIL 70 DME; IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE THE XING RESTR; ESPECIALLY SINCE A FURTHER RESTR WAS GIVEN NOT TO EXCEED 250 KTS. (MIDDY IS THE MEM 046 DEG RADIAL AT 30 DME.) AFTER COMMENCING THE DSCNT; I ADVISED THE CAPT (I WAS THE PF) THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE THE XING RESTR; AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER; ATC CANCELLED THE RESTR OF SPD AND INSTRUCTED US TO 'JUST DSND TO 10000 FT; DISREGARD MIDDY; AND CONTINUE ON THE 046 DEG RADIAL INBOUND.' ONCE WE WERE SENT OVER TO MEM APCH; THE REAL CONFUSION BEGAN! HAVING BEEN CLRED TO MERELY FLY THE 046 DEG RADIAL INBOUND TO MEM; WE DISREGARDED THE MIDDY ARR'S INSTRUCTION TO TURN L AT CLARK INTL (046 DEG RADIAL/8 DME) TO 175 DEGS. SHORTLY PAST CLARK; APCH CALLED AND SARCASTICALLY INQUIRED IF WE WERE EVER GOING TO TURN S; SO WE DID; AND CAME L TO 175 DEGS. MEM ARPT WAS LNDG RWY 36L/36R AND RWY 27; AND SINCE WE NEEDED AN EQUIP CHK; WE REQUESTED AN ILS TO RWY 36R FOR A PRACTICE CAT III ILS. APCH TOLD US TO EXPECT AN ILS TO RWY 36L; SO WE BRIEFED CAT III PROCS FOR RWY 36L. WHILE ON DOWNWIND; APCH ADVISED US TO NOW EXPECT VECTORS FOR AN ILS TO RWY 36R; SO WE QUICKLY RE-BRIEFED AND PREPARED FOR RWY 36R. (HE EVEN ADVISED US OF THE ILS FREQ FOR RWY 36R -- 110.5 FREQ.) WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT OUR VECTORS WOULD TAKE US THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO RWY 36R; WE QUERIED THE CTLR; WHO RESPONDED; TURN BACK TO INTERCEPT THE ILS FROM THE L. THIS WE DID; AS THE HAIR STOOD UP ON THE BACKS OF OUR NECKS; HOPING THERE WAS NO TFC IN CONFLICT. AS WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC COURSE (RWY 36R) APCH CALLED AND ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO RWY 36L OR RWY 36R. WE REPLIED RWY 36R (WAS CLRED) AND APCH DIRECTED THAT 'YOU WERE CLRED TO RWY 36L!' IN A STATE OF FRUSTRATION; WE RESET THE ILS TO THE RWY 36L FREQ; INTERCEPTED THE RWY 36L ILS; AND COMPLETED THE APCH AND LNDG. FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE ARR THROUGH LNDG; IT WAS APPARENT THAT ZME AND MEM APCH WERE VERY BUSY SEQUENCING TFC FOR ARR. HAVING BEEN PASSED THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT FREQS ON ARR; THE CTLRS APPARENTLY LOST TRACK OF WHAT RWY THEY WERE VECTORING US TO LAND ON. I AM QUITE CERTAIN OF OUR CLRNCS (AS WAS THE REST OF THE CREW) RECEIVED; AND WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE TAPED XMISSIONS SO THAT THE CTLRS COULD HEAR THEMSELVES; AND HOPEFULLY IMPROVE!

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