C172 INSTRUCTOR PLT AT UGN COMPLAINS ABOUT CTLR PERFORMANCE AND ATTITUDE.

Date: 2003-08 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-ctlr-attitude

Synopsis

C172 INSTRUCTOR PLT AT UGN COMPLAINS ABOUT CTLR PERFORMANCE AND ATTITUDE.

Narrative

I AM A FLT INSTRUCTOR AT WAUKEGAN (UGN) ARPT. WE OPERATE A FLEET OF ACFT AND DO A LOT OF PRIMARY FLT INSTRUCTION. WE ALSO GET A LOT OF TRAINING ACFT FROM NEIGHBORING ARPTS PRACTICING LNDGS AT OUR LOCATION. ON AUG/SAT/03 AT ABOUT XA00; I WAS IN THE PATTERN WITH A STUDENT DOING CLOSED TFC TKOFS AND LNDGS. ON OUR 6TH LNDG WE WERE DOING A PWR OFF APCH. THERE WERE NO OTHER AIRPLANES IN FRONT OF US IN THE PATTERN AT THE TIME. WHEN MY STUDENT STARTED TO TURN ON A FAIRLY CLOSE IN BASE TURN; IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; I KEYED THE MIKE AND ASKED THE CTLR FOR A SHORT APCH. THE CTLR CLRED US FOR A SHORT APCH AND AFTER A FEW MOMENTS; HE CALLED US BACK AND SAID THAT WHAT I HAD DONE WAS UNSAFE. I AM NOT SURE WHY HE APPROVED IT IF HE THOUGHT IT WAS UNSAFE. AFTER LNDG I CALLED THE CTL TWR ON THE TELEPHONE. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT I DID NOT APPRECIATE HIM BROADCASTING ON THE TWR FREQ THAT I WAS DOING SOMETHING UNSAFE; WHICH I WAS NOT. AT THIS POINT; HE BECAME VERBALLY ABUSIVE INCLUDING THE USE OF VULGAR LANGUAGE. HE THEN THREATENED TO WRITE ME UP FOR WHAT I HAD DONE; AND HE WAS ALSO GOING TO WRITE ME UP FOR TAILGATING ON THE NEXT LNDG. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO COOL HIM OFF AND TELL HIM THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN IMPROVING COMS; IT WAS OBVIOUS HE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN IMPROVING PLT CTLR RELATIONS. THIS CTLR; WHO I ONLY KNOW AS MR X; IS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS HISTORY OF CONSTANTLY REPRIMANDING AND BELITTLING PLTS AND STUDENTS FOR THINGS THAT HE DOESN'T LIKE. SOME OF HIS COMMENTS ARE: 'YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING 230 DEGS ON DOWNWIND;' 'WHY DID YOU DO A GAR;' 'WHY DO YOU TURN L BEFORE YOU TURN R' (WE WERE IN A HIGH WING ACFT); 'I ALREADY CLRED YOU TO LAND;' 'WHY DOES YOUR STUDENT ALWAYS SOUND LIKE SHE'S SCREAMING ON THE RADIO' (THE STUDENT WAS IN THE ACFT AT THE TIME); 'WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ON MY RWY;' AND IN RESPONSE TO A PLT REQUESTING TO HOLD SHORT DUE TO WAKE TURB AFTER BEING CLRED TO TAKE OFF BEHIND A DEPARTING JET; THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS 'IT IS ONLY A SMALL JET.' I AM THANKFUL THAT MOST CTLRS HAVE BETTER COM SKILLS. IN MY OPINION; AND THAT OF THE OTHER INSTRUCTORS AT OUR CLUB; THIS CTLR HAS CREATED A VERY TENSE; HOSTILE; AND UNSAFE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. A STUDENT SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO DO A GAR BECAUSE HE MAY HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY TO THE CTLR; OR BE AFRAID TO CONFIRM A CLR TO LAND BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE EMBARRASSED BY A SARCASTIC COMMENT FROM THE CTLR.

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