BE33 LNDG HOU IS MISIDENTED BY ATC RESULTING SUCCEEDING TFC HAVING TO LAND ON PARALLEL RWY.
Synopsis
BE33 LNDG HOU IS MISIDENTED BY ATC RESULTING SUCCEEDING TFC HAVING TO LAND ON PARALLEL RWY.
Narrative
ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 30L AT HOUSTON HOBBY; APPROX 10 MI OUT; HOUSTON APCH ASKED ME MY AIRSPD. I WAS IN A DSCNT FOR LNDG AND REPLIED; '160 KTS.' HE ASKED IF I COULD MAINTAIN THAT TILL FINAL AND I REPLIED THAT 'I WOULD DO MY BEST.' APCH WAS ALSO WORKING A MEDICAL VOLUNTEER FLT TO RWY 30L. APCH SWITCHED ME TO THE TWR AND I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 30L. I COULD TELL FROM RADIO XMISSIONS THAT VOLUNTEER FLT WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE LNDG SEQUENCE OR SPACING AS HE WAS CLRED TO LAND BEHIND ME. I KNEW SPACING WAS TIGHT SO I DECIDED TO EXIT AT THE FIRST TXWY I COULD SAFELY MAKE; EVEN THOUGH IT WAS INCONVENIENT TO MY DEST. MY THINKING WAS TO LET THE VOLUNTEER FLT GET TO HIS DEST AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE EVEN THOUGH IT MEANT MORE TAXIING FOR ME. AS I WAS STARTING TO EXIT RWY 30L THE CTLR ASKED ME WHERE I WAS PARKING AND I TOLD HIM ON THE W SIDE. HE TOLD ME TO CONTINUE DOWN THE RWY AND EXIT AT TXWY Q AND 'TO EXPEDITE.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE ABOVE AND PROCEEDED ON RWY 30L. AT THIS POINT SPACING WITH VOLUNTEER FLT WAS GETTING WORSE SO THE CTLR CALLED ME ASKING ME TO TURN L AT THE NEXT TXWY. UNFORTUNATELY HE USED THE INCORRECT CALL SIGN 'ABCDX.' MY FULL AND CORRECT CALL SIGN IS 'ABCDY.' HE HAD MIXED UP THE 'Y' WITH THE 'X.' AS HOUSTON HOBBY HAS 4 RWYS I DID NOT THINK THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO ME WHEN HE REPEATED THE INSTRUCTION TO TURN L AT THE NEXT TXWY AGAIN USING 'ABCDX.' AFTER THE 2ND OR 3RD CALL OF 'ABCDX;' I REALIZED HE MEANT 'ABCDY.' IN THE MEANTIME WITH THE TIGHT SPACING VOLUNTEER FLT REQUESTED A SIDESTEP TO RWY 30R AND LANDED SAFELY. I HAVE READ THAT ACCIDENTS ARE USUALLY CAUSED BY A CHAIN OF EVENTS. THIS WAS REINFORCED BY THIS EXPERIENCE. HAD APCH CTL SENT VOLUNTEER FLT AHEAD OF ME; HAD I PERFORMED A NORMAL ROLLOUT AND WAITED FOR THE CTLR TO CALL MY TURN; HAD THE CTLR USED MY CORRECT CALL SIGN ALL OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.