SINGLE PLT OF TURBOPROP TWIN ENG ENCOUNTERS PROBS WITH RAMP CTL FREQS AT IAD. CITES INADEQUATE FAA CHARTAGE AND TASK SATURATION FOR RESULTING TAXI DEVIATIONS.
Synopsis
SINGLE PLT OF TURBOPROP TWIN ENG ENCOUNTERS PROBS WITH RAMP CTL FREQS AT IAD. CITES INADEQUATE FAA CHARTAGE AND TASK SATURATION FOR RESULTING TAXI DEVIATIONS.
Narrative
FOR MANY DECADES; I HAVE BEEN FLYING INTO BUSY BUSY ARPTS SINGLE PLT IN TURBOPROPS WITH MINIMAL DIFFICULTY; BUT ON ONE DAY IN JULY; TWO SEPARATE SITS AT DULLES (IAD) HAVE CONVINCED ME THAT THOSE DAYS ARE OVER (FOR SINGLE PLT). SIT #1: LANDED ON RWY 1L; TAXIED ON TXWY Y6; RIGHT ONTO TXWY Y TO TXWY A THROUGH TXWY Z TO HOLD SHORT OF TWR RAMP AFTER PASSING TXWY Z. NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL. WAITED A SHORT SPELL AND CALLED GND CTL BACK; WHICH SAID I WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL TWR RAMP CTL ON 119.12. ON THE GOV CHART I COULD NOT THEN NOR NOW FIND 119.12. GND CTL SEEMED A BIT PERTURBED THAT I HAD NOT ALREADY CALLED ON 119.12. ON 119.12 TWR RAMP CTLR SAID TO TURN R ON TXWY A5; THEN L ON TXWY B. RAMP ACTIVITY WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH PLANES; SERVICE VEHICLES; AND PAX MOVERS. WHILE PASSING TXWY A4; CTLR SAID TO TURN RIGHT NOW. IN THE CONFUSION; I TURNED RIGHT ONTO A SERVICE ROAD/RAMP BETWEEN TXWYS A4 AND A5. THE TXWY A5 SIGN WAS BLOCKED BY TFC AHEAD. NO PROB WAS CREATED; BUT I DEFINITELY TURNED R PRIOR TO REACHING TXWY A5. I FINALLY MADE IT TO FBO PARKING WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBS. THE CONFUSION HAD BEEN VERY HEAVY; BUT THEN 6 AND A HALF HOURS LATER; MORE CONFUSION ENSUED. SIT #2: TAXIED OUT OF FBO PARKING WITH THE EVENTUAL GOAL OF DEPARTING RWY 30 (AGAIN NECESSITATING HAVING TO PASS THROUGH THE TWR RAMP). THIS TIME GND CTL GAVE ME 119.12. THIS TWR RAMP CTLR (I THINK) GAVE US CLRNC TO RWY 30 VIA L TURN ON TXWY Z FROM TXWY A AND TO CALL 132.45 (WEST GROUND). I DO NOT RECALL ANY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. AS I WAS BEGINNING TO MAKE THE L TURN ON TXWY Z FROM TXWY A; I CALLED 132.45. GND CTL WAS VERY VERY UPSET THAT I HAD ROUNDED THE TURN ONTO TXWY Z (BEFORE CALLING HIM); BUT I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT REMEMBER ANY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTION FROM 119.12 (THOUGH MAYBE THERE HAD BEEN). CONCLUSIONS: AT BUSY BUSY ARPTS; THERE QUITE OFTEN ARE TOO MANY THINGS GOING ON FOR ONE PLT; PARTICULARLY GOING INTO CERTAIN BUSY ARPTS INFREQUENTLY (SO THAT THERE'S NO WAY TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO ALL THE NUANCES; THE UNPUBLISHED FREQS; ETC). ADDED WITH NOISE FROM THE PAX; PLUS ONE PAX SITTING IN THE COPLT'S SEAT WANTING ME TO CALL FOR A TAXICAB; THE OVERWHELMING FLOOD OF DEMANDS ON ONE PLT IS TOO MUCH. UNFORTUNATELY; THERE'S ANYTHING BUT A STERILE COCKPIT. IT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE. IF I EVER HAVE TO GO INTO ANOTHER BUSY ARPT; I AM GOING TO EMPLOY A SECOND (SEASONED) PLT AND CLOSE THE COCKPIT DOOR; AND I MIGHT ALSO SWITCH BACK TO COMMERCIAL CHARTS FOR SUPERIOR ARPT DIAGRAMS; AND I MIGHT HAVE INSTALLED THE NECESSARY EQUIP (ELECTRONIC DATABASE) TO DISPLAY DETAILED TXWY DIAGRAMS WITH GPS ACFT POSITION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF A STERILE ENVIRONMENT AND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE COCKPIT. THE PROB WITH THE GOV CHARTS WAS THE CATALYST FOR ALL THAT ENSUED; BUT ONLY HIGHLIGHTED HOW CLOSE TO SATURATION A SINGLE PLT IS EVEN WHEN ALL THE SQUARES ARE FILLED. IT TOOK ONLY THIS SINGLE ITEM OF CONFUSION TO RESULT IN REPEATED TRANSGRESSIONS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.