I90 CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 3000 FT DURING ATTEMPTS TO KEEP 2 CLOSELY SPACED IAH DEPS APART AND CLRING HOU DEP AIRSPACE.

Date: 2006-01 · Aircraft: SF 340A · Phase: initial_climb

Anomalies: atc-issue-all-types|conflict-airborne-conflict

Synopsis

I90 CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 3000 FT DURING ATTEMPTS TO KEEP 2 CLOSELY SPACED IAH DEPS APART AND CLRING HOU DEP AIRSPACE.

Narrative

IAH TWR DEPARTED THE SF34 SBOUND; THEN DEPARTED THE B737 ON A 130 DEG HDG; AFTER THE SF34 WAS 3.02 MI PARALLEL TO THE B737; THEY THEN TURNED -- THE SF34 TO A 130 DEG HDG; THE SF34 WAS BY THEN ON A HDG THAT WOULD HAVE PUT HIM IN THE HOBBY ATCT AIRSPACE; IN THE FACE OF HOBBY DEPS THAT CLB TO 5000 FT. I TURNED THE SF34 TO A 115 DEG HDG SO AS TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT WITH ANY HOBBY DEPS; AND TO KEEP THIS ACFT IN MY AIRSPACE. THIS PROC THE IAH TWR USED IS A VERY POOR PROC. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TURN THE ACFT. ON APR/XA/05; WE HAD ANOTHER OPERROR DUE TO THIS SAME PROC; AND DURING THE SAFETY BOARD MEETING; THE SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDED THAT THE PROPS COME OUT ON A 115 DEG HDG FOR SAFETY REASONS. THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS NEVER ACTED ON. OUR MGMNT DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS. THEY FAILED TO EVEN WRITE IT DOWN; SO THE PROC HAS NEVER BEEN CHANGED. HAD IT BEEN; THEN I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE I HAD ZERO OPTIONS. HAD I DONE NOTHING; I WOULD HAVE HAD AN OPERROR WITH HOBBY TWR'S AIRSPACE; AND MAYBE EVEN AN ACCIDENT; IF THERE HAD BEEN A SLOW CLBING ACFT DEPARTING HOBBY ATCT NBOUND. THIS PROC IS UNSAFE AND NEEDS TO BE CHANGED; YET MGMNT LET THE SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDATION SIT BY THE WAYSIDE AND DID NOTHING TO CHANGE THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER OPERROR; OR TO ALLEVIATE AN ACCIDENT.

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