AN MD88 FO RPTED THAT; FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE SAME DAY; HIS CAPT COMMENCED THE TKOF ROLL WHILE ON THE TXWY.

Date: 1999-10 · Aircraft: MD-88 · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-incursion-taxiway

Synopsis

AN MD88 FO RPTED THAT; FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE SAME DAY; HIS CAPT COMMENCED THE TKOF ROLL WHILE ON THE TXWY.

Narrative

CAPT COMMENCED TKOF ROLL ON TXWY LEADING UP TO (800 FT SHORT OF) RWY 28 ATL. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THE CAPT DID THIS TODAY AFTER REPEATED VERBAL INTERVENTION ON MY PART BEFORE; DURING; AND AFTER EACH EVENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO RPTED THAT HE AND THE CAPT DEVELOPED A BOND WHEN THEY BOTH FOUND OUT THAT THE OTHER HAD BEEN A T38 INSTRUCTOR. THE CAPT HAS BEEN IN THE L SEAT FOR 13 YRS WHILE THE FO HAS BEEN WITH HIS COMPANY FOR 2 YRS. THE FO WAS EXTREMELY DISTRESSED BY THE CAPT'S ACTIONS AND RPTED TO THE ANALYST OTHER INSTANCES OF UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR DURING THEIR SEQUENCE TOGETHER. THE FO HAS DISCUSSED HIS CONCERNS WITH HIS PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS PEOPLE; BUT FEELS THAT THE CAPT WILL BE PROTECTED BECAUSE OF THE INFLEXIBILITY OF HIS COMPANY REGARDING CREW ASSIGNMENTS. IN HIS OPINION; THE COMPANY WILL NOT GET THE MESSAGE THAT THIS CAPT IS UNACCEPTABLE BECAUSE THE PLTS CANNOT REFUSE THEIR SEQUENCE PAIRINGS. THE RPTR PROVIDED FURTHER BACKGND INFO REGARDING THE EVENT AT ATL. HE RPTED THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION INCLUDED THE REMOVAL OF RWY 27L/9R; CLOSEST TO THE S CARGO RAMP. THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A TXWY (HE THINKS TXWY R) WHICH HAS BEEN CONVERTED; WITH RWY QUALITY PAVEMENT; LIGHTING; ETC; INTO RWY 28. THE RPTR RECALLED THAT THE CAPT WANTED TO TALK; AT LENGTH; ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE CONVERSION AND HOW IT IMPACTED THE FLT THEY WERE ABOUT TO MAKE TO PHL. ONE OF THE NOTES ON THE PLATE STATED THAT TKOFS WERE FORBIDDEN FROM THE TXWY THAT LEADS TO RWY 28. THEY DISCUSSED THIS NOTE AND CONTINUED THEIR BRIEFING. WHEN THEY WERE CLRED FOR TKOF; STILL ON THE TXWY TO RWY 28; THE CAPT 'CLAMPED THE AUTOTHROTTLES.' THE FO FELT TRAPPED BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO TRY AND REDUCE THE THROTTLES ONCE THEY WERE CLAMPED. THEY BARELY CROSSED THE WHITE RWY LINE AS THEY ROTATED. AFTER THEY CLEANED UP; THE FO SAID THAT HE CONFRONTED THE CAPT AND MADE IT CLR THAT HE WAS OUTRAGED; ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY VIOLATED THE NOTE ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART IN FRONT OF THE TWR AND 3 COMPANY ACFT BEHIND THEM AWAITING TKOF. THE CAPT REPLIED; 'I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ALL THAT CONCRETE BEHIND ME.' THEY FLEW BACK TO ATL; BRIEFED THE DEP FOR A FLT TO AUGUSTA; AND THE CAPT TOOK OFF FROM THE TXWY AGAIN; FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE SAME DAY. AGAIN; THE FO CONFRONTED THE CAPT AND HE GAVE THE SAME REPLY. IN THE FO'S OPINION; THIS CAPT SEEMS TO HOLD IT TOGETHER LONG ENOUGH TO APPEAR NORMAL FOR CHK RIDES AND OTHER EVALUATIONS; BUT LOSES HIS FACADE OF COMPETENCE WHEN HE'S FLYING DAY-TO-DAY. HE FELT THAT THIS CAPT IS BEREFT OF JUDGEMENT AS DEMONSTRATED BY HIS USE OF REDUCED THRUST FOR THE TKOF. THE FO POSITED THAT; IF THE CAPT WAS SO CONCERNED ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THE RWY; AND THEREFORE USED THE TXWY TO PROVIDE A CUSHION; THEN HE WOULD ALSO UTILIZE THE ENG'S MAX PWR TO TAKE OFF. IN THE FO'S OPINION; HIS USE OF REDUCED THRUST MAKES NO SENSE WHEN TAKEN IN CONTEXT WITH HIS OTHER COMMENTS.

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