A80 MONITOR CONTROLLER DESCRIBED CONFLICT EVENT WHEN AIRCRAFT EXECUTING MISSED APPROACH FLEW THROUGH PATH OF A PARALLEL RUNWAY DEPARTURE TWICE; ALLEGING LOCAL CONTROLLER FAILED TO ISSUE APPROPRIATE TRAFFIC INFORMATION.

Date: 2008-11 · Aircraft: DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: landing

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-track-heading-all-types|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

A80 MONITOR CONTROLLER DESCRIBED CONFLICT EVENT WHEN AIRCRAFT EXECUTING MISSED APPROACH FLEW THROUGH PATH OF A PARALLEL RUNWAY DEPARTURE TWICE; ALLEGING LOCAL CONTROLLER FAILED TO ISSUE APPROPRIATE TRAFFIC INFORMATION.

Narrative

ACFT X EXECUTED A MISSED APCH TO RWY 9R AT ATL. A B757 WAS DEPARTING RWY 9L; ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY. STRONG WIND FROM THE S PUSHED ACFT X N; UNDER; AND BEHIND THE DEP PATH OF A B757. ACR X APPEARED TO BE LESS THAN 1 MI AND 500 FT WHEN THE RADAR TARGETS WERE OBSERVED. WHEN ACFT X WAS TURNED TO A 180 DEG HDG AND CLBED TO 4000 FT; HE FLEW BACK ACROSS THE DEP TRACK OF THE B757. LOCAL CTL 4 NEVER ISSUED TFC. GIVEN THE STATE OF PRM APCHS IN VERY LOW IFR WX CONDITIONS; THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL AT THE WORLD'S BUSIEST ARPT IS COMPARATIVELY LOW TO WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE. THE EXERCISE OF GOOD JUDGEMENT IN COMPROMISING AND STRESSFUL SITUATIONS IS PARAMOUNT TO THE INTEGRITY AND SAFETY OF THE NAS. THE LACK OF EXCHANGING TFC INFO AND INITIATION OF POSITIVE CTL ACTIONS ON THE PART OF THE LOCAL CTLR IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER MAY HAVE PRECLUDED ACFT X FROM FLYING THROUGH AND BEHIND THE DEP TRACK OF THE B757 2 TIMES! IT MUST ALSO BE CONSIDERED THAT THE LOCAL CTLR WAS RESPONDING TO DIRECTION FROM THE SUPVR; WHO MAY ALSO HAVE LIMITED EXPERIENCE. IF THE SUPVR TOLD THE CTLR WHAT CTL ACTIONS TO TAKE; THEN THE SUPVR SHOULD ASSUME ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS INCIDENT. THE FAA NEEDS TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUTTING THE FLYING PUBLIC AT RISK; DUE TO THE CURRENT STAFFING SITUATION; THAT IS MINIMAL ATC EXPERIENCE. THE LOCAL CTLR THEN RELEASED CTL FOR ACFT X BACK TO THE MONITOR CTLR. AT THAT TIME THE MONITOR CTLR DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE ACFT X ON RADAR OR PROVIDE ANY CTL INSTRUCTIONS USING RADAR AT THEIR POS. THE MONITOR CTLR HAD TO GET UP; TAKING THEIR ATTN AWAY FROM THE PRM MONITOR SCOPE; TO WALK 15 FT TO A RADAR SCOPE TO SEE ACFT X. THEY ASKED FOR HELP AND GOT IT FROM THE SUPVR; WHO AIDED A POINTOUT AND COORD WITH DEP RADAR; BECAUSE ACFT X WHO HAD HEADED S NEEDED TO DIVERT TO BNA; WHICH WAS N. ACFT X WAS SWITCHED TO DEP AND PROCEEDED NORMALLY.

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