AN ACR PILOT REJECTS HIS ACR'S REQUEST TO CHANGE LNDG RWY ON SHORT FINAL.

Date: 2008-09 · Aircraft: Widebody Transport · Phase: approach

Synopsis

AN ACR PILOT REJECTS HIS ACR'S REQUEST TO CHANGE LNDG RWY ON SHORT FINAL.

Narrative

UPON ARR IN THE TERMINAL AREA AND TALKING TO APCH CTL OUR FLT WAS INFORMED THAT WE WOULD BE ASSIGNED RWY XXR FOR LNDG; OUR FMC INSERTED RWY. AROUND 4800 FT AND THE APCH CTLR SAID THAT THE COMPANY WANTED US TO LAND ON RWY XXL. I DECLINED; STATING THAT WE WERE CONDUCTING IOE. THE CTLR THEN SAID THAT THE COMPANY WAS ORDERING US TO LAND ON RWY XXL. MY NEXT XMISSION WAS THAT I WAS THE PIC AND WE WOULD BE LNDG ON RWY XXR. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US FOR THE APCH TO RWY XXR. WHEN I ARRIVED INSIDE THE BUILDING; I IMMEDIATELY SOUGHT OUT THE DUTY ACP (ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT). I ASKED HIM IF THE COMPANY HAD ORDERED ME TO LAND ON RWY XXL. HE SUGGESTED CALLING OPS. THE ACP STATED THAT THEY DID NOT ORDER US TO LAND THERE; BUT CALLED ATC WITH A REQUEST FOR US TO LAND ON RWY XXL DUE TO RAMP CONGESTION. WHEN I STATED TO THE CTLR THAT I WAS THE PIC; HE SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF WELL THAT TRUMPS ANYTHING THEY HAVE; CLRED FOR THE APCH RWY XXR. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE CTLR FELT CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE. THE COMPANY HAS THE FLEET MOSTLY PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE AIRFIELD FOR OPS NECESSITY. LNDG ON RWY XXL WOULD SHORTEN TAXI TIMES. CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF LNDG WERE WET RWYS WITH RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA. BASED ON THE WT OF THE ACFT AND CURRENT FIELD CONDITIONS; AS WELL AS CONDUCTING TRAINING; I FELT THAT THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO LAND ON THE LONGEST RWY AVAILABLE. I STILL STAND BY THAT DECISION. THE APPARENT COERCION BY THE COMPANY FOR A CAPT TO LAND ON A PARTICULAR RWY FOR OPERATIONAL NEEDS TO THE EXCLUSION OF SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS; SHOULD SEND A CHILL DOWN THE SPINE OF ANY AVIATOR.

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