A B737 ON ILS RWY 22L APCH REQUESTS RWY 29 FOR LNDG DUE TO XWIND. A RWY CHANGE WAS NOT ISSUED AND THE B737 LAND ON RWY 22L. THE RPTR DISCUSSED THE RWY ASSIGNMENT WITH THE TWR SUPVR AND LEARNED THAT RWY 29 IS USED PRIMARILY FOR TURBOPROP DEPS. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT XWIND RWYS SHOULD NOT BE USED WHEN OTHER RWYS MORE ALIGNED WITH THE WIND ARE AVAILABLE.
Synopsis
A B737 ON ILS RWY 22L APCH REQUESTS RWY 29 FOR LNDG DUE TO XWIND. A RWY CHANGE WAS NOT ISSUED AND THE B737 LAND ON RWY 22L. THE RPTR DISCUSSED THE RWY ASSIGNMENT WITH THE TWR SUPVR AND LEARNED THAT RWY 29 IS USED PRIMARILY FOR TURBOPROP DEPS. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT XWIND RWYS SHOULD NOT BE USED WHEN OTHER RWYS MORE ALIGNED WITH THE WIND ARE AVAILABLE.
Narrative
FLT FROM BUF TO EWR WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 22L AT EWR AND SWITCHED TO TWR. TWR CLRED US TO LAND AND GAVE THE WIND AT 310/25G30. I REQUESTED RWY 29 FOR LNDG AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD CHK AND GET BACK TO ME; BECAUSE THEY WERE DEPARTING ON RWY 29. I NEVER HEARD BACK ABOUT MY REQUEST AND SINCE THE WIND WAS WITHIN LIMITS WE LANDED ON RWY 22L. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO LINE FOR DEPS ON RWY 29. IN FACT; I COULD NOT SEE ANYONE HOLDING SHORT FOR RWY 29 AS WE FLEW OVER. AFTER LNDG I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR AS I WAS INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW MUCH XWIND THER NEEDS TO BE BEFORE I CAN GET TO LAND INTO THE WIND. HE TOLD ME THAT RWY 29 IS NOW GIVEN A SEPARATE CTLR FOR TURBOPROP DEPS AND THERE IS SOME COORD REQUIRED TO GET RWY 29 FOR LNDG DURING THIS OP. HE ALSO SAID THAT MY COMPANY WANTS EWR TO STAY IN A PARALLEL RWY OP AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE RWY 29 OP IMPACTS THEIR ON TIME PERFORMANCE. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS IS AN OP WHERE SAFETY HAS BECOME A TERTIARY CONSIDERATION; BEHIND BOTH ECONOMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONCERNS. WHEN THE WIND IS 90 DEGS OFF CTRLINE GUSTING TO 30 KTS; THERE'S A RWY INTO THE WIND AND I CAN'T USE IT BECAUSE OF THE REASONS ABOVE; SAFETY IS BEING COMPROMISED.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.