CAPTAIN REPORTS DISTRACTIONS CAUSED BY RAAS ANNOUNCEMENTS COVERING ATC TRANSMISSIONS DURING POTENTIAL RUNWAY INCURSION RISK FROM ANOTHER AIRCRAFT AWAITING A TAKEOFF CLEARANCE.

Date: 2008-11 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|conflict-ground-conflict|less-severe

Synopsis

CAPTAIN REPORTS DISTRACTIONS CAUSED BY RAAS ANNOUNCEMENTS COVERING ATC TRANSMISSIONS DURING POTENTIAL RUNWAY INCURSION RISK FROM ANOTHER AIRCRAFT AWAITING A TAKEOFF CLEARANCE.

Narrative

WE WERE CLRED TO TAKE OFF. AN ACR FLT WAS HOLDING SHORT AT THE NEXT INTXN DOWN THE RWY. AS WE WERE LINING UP ON THE RWY; THE RAAS POINTLESSLY ANNOUNCED 'ENTERING RWY XXL' CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY 'ON RWY XXL;' AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME THAT TWR CALLED; 'ACR XYZ (UNINTELLIGIBLE DUE TO RAAS).' BACKGROUND: ACR HAD BEEN #1 FOR TKOF BUT DIDN'T HAVE THEIR WT DATA. TWR WAS CONCERNED WITH MAKING THEIR TKOF VOID TIME. THEY CLRED US FOR TKOF AFTER TELLING THE ACR THAT THEY HAD 1.5 MINS TO VOID TIME. POINT 1: WE KNEW ALL THIS BECAUSE UP TO THAT POINT RAAS HADN'T YET INTERFERED WITH COMS. POINT 2: WE KNEW THAT TWR WAS IN A SWEAT TO GET ACR OFF THE GND BEFORE THE VOID TIME. POINT 3: AS OUR ENGS WERE SPOOLING UP AND WE HEARD TWR START TO ADDRESS ACR (HOLDING SHORT AT AN INTXN DOWN THE RWY FROM US); I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT TWR WASN'T CLRING ACR ONTO THE RWY (FOR POS AND HOLD OR TKOF); BUT THE RAAS ANNOUNCEMENT PREVENTED US FROM HEARING AND UNDERSTANDING TWR'S COM TO ACR. ALL WE COULD DO WAS CONTINUE WITH OUR ROLL AND WATCH ACR VERY CLOSELY FOR ANY SIGN OF MOVEMENT. POINT 4: THIS SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO OUR TKOF WAS ENTIRELY TO THIS 'SAFETY' SYS WHICH IS ITSELF A FAR GREATER HAZARD THAN ANY POTENTIAL BENEFIT IT OFFERS. 1) IMMEDIATELY REMOVE RAAS FROM OUR ACFT. 2) DO NOT REINSTALL WITHOUT AN INHIBIT SWITCH THAT WILL ALLOW THE FLT CREW TO USE IT OR NOT USE IT AS APPROPRIATE; IN THEIR JUDGEMENT; FOR THE FLT CONDITIONS.

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