B737 CAPTAIN REPORTS GO AROUND CAUSED BY TOWER CLEARING ANOTHER B737 TO TAKE OFF WITH INSUFFICIENT SPACING. REPORTER BELIEVES PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT IS GIVEN TO ONE ACR TO THE DETRIMENT OF OTHERS.

Date: 2007-10 · Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: approach

Anomalies: atc-issue-all-types

Synopsis

B737 CAPTAIN REPORTS GO AROUND CAUSED BY TOWER CLEARING ANOTHER B737 TO TAKE OFF WITH INSUFFICIENT SPACING. REPORTER BELIEVES PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT IS GIVEN TO ONE ACR TO THE DETRIMENT OF OTHERS.

Narrative

AFTER RECEIVING OUR VISUAL APCH CLRNC; APCH CTL ASKED US TO SLOW TO OUR APCH SPD. WE WERE ABOUT 8-10 MI OUT AND SLOWED TO 135 KIAS IN LNDG CONFIGN. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE TWR AND FLYING THE ILS BACKED UP VISUALLY; AT 1000 FT RA; I REMEMBER HEARING THE AUTOMATED CALLOUT OF 1000 FT AND RESPONDED STABLE. SOMETIME AFTER THIS; I HEARD TWR ASK AN ACR Y IF HE WAS READY. HE RESPONDED HE WAS; AND THE TWR CLRED HIM FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF ON THE RWY WE WERE LNDG. I CONTINUED THE APCH TO APPROX 100 FT AGL; THE ACR Y HAD NOT ROTATED; AT THIS POINT I EXECUTED A GAR. WE GOT VECTORED AROUND FOR A SAFE LNDG ON THE SAME RWY. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE THE CAPT CALLED THE TWR TO QUESTION THE EVENT. HE WAS TOLD THAT IF THEY DIDN'T GET ACR Y OUT THEN; ACR Y WOULD HAVE HAD TO WAIT FOR 2 MORE ARRS BEFORE THEY COULD DEPART AND THAT IT WAS LEGAL! ANOTHER EVENT WHERE ATC GIVES ACR Y PREFERENCE; EVEN COMPROMISING SAFETY IN THE INSTANCE; AND POOR AIRMANSHIP BY ACR Y FOR NOT CLRING FINAL BEFORE TAKING AN ACTIVE RWY. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN ACCIDENT FOR THIS TO STOP? TWR WAS SO INSISTENT TO GET ACR Y OUT SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO WAIT; THEY HAD US SLOW ON A 8-10 MI FINAL; THEN STILL CLRED THE JET FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF WHEN WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL; SO ACR Y WOULD NOT HAVE TO WAIT. I DOUBT IT WAS LEGAL; BUT IF IT WAS; WAS IT SAFE? NO! HAVE ATC QUIT GIVING ACR Y PREFERENCE AND THINKING 'THEY CAN DO IT;' WHILE JEOPARDIZING OTHER AIRLINES' SAFETY!

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