FlyChicaga
Vintage Restoration
Scenario: You are arriving in an MD-11 at Newark-Liberty International Airport, landing on runway 22L. At the same time, aircraft are departing off runway 22R, flying a departure that calls for an immediate turn to the left heading 190, across the extended centerline for your landing runway.
When you briefed the approach, you briefed the instrument missed approach procedure, which calls for a climb and turn to the right five degrees. Although the weather is VMC, you were cleared for an ILS approach.
When you checked on with tower (approximately 12 miles out), the frequency was extremely busy. Helicopter traffic was heard crossing the approach end of the main runways in use, and another aircraft was getting S-turns for spacing while landing on an intersecting runway to the one you are landing on. You attempt to check on twice, then wait to see if tower responds to you. They finally ask you to "standby," and issue another instruction to the airplane landing on the crossing runway.
At about three miles out, you are able to say, "Tower is Airline 123 cleared to land?" They do not answer, but rather say, "Fedex 25 heavy, winds are 290 at 9, cleared for takeoff runway 22R." After FedEx responds, tower says, "Airline 123, affirmative, caution wake turbulence for the departing heavy A-300." Before you can respond, tower issues an instruction to another aircraft to taxi into position and hold on runway 22R.
At this point, you must make a decision. Do you assume the "affirmative" was in fact a landing clearance (tower never actually said, "cleared to land")? Or do you go-around, possibly causing a traffic conflict with a) the departing A-300, b) unknown helicopter traffic that you cannot see on TCAS, or c) the aircraft landing on the intersecting runway that is S-turning and landing with a 9 knot tailwind?
Disclaimer: This did not happen to me, nor did it happen at my company.
When you briefed the approach, you briefed the instrument missed approach procedure, which calls for a climb and turn to the right five degrees. Although the weather is VMC, you were cleared for an ILS approach.
When you checked on with tower (approximately 12 miles out), the frequency was extremely busy. Helicopter traffic was heard crossing the approach end of the main runways in use, and another aircraft was getting S-turns for spacing while landing on an intersecting runway to the one you are landing on. You attempt to check on twice, then wait to see if tower responds to you. They finally ask you to "standby," and issue another instruction to the airplane landing on the crossing runway.
At about three miles out, you are able to say, "Tower is Airline 123 cleared to land?" They do not answer, but rather say, "Fedex 25 heavy, winds are 290 at 9, cleared for takeoff runway 22R." After FedEx responds, tower says, "Airline 123, affirmative, caution wake turbulence for the departing heavy A-300." Before you can respond, tower issues an instruction to another aircraft to taxi into position and hold on runway 22R.
At this point, you must make a decision. Do you assume the "affirmative" was in fact a landing clearance (tower never actually said, "cleared to land")? Or do you go-around, possibly causing a traffic conflict with a) the departing A-300, b) unknown helicopter traffic that you cannot see on TCAS, or c) the aircraft landing on the intersecting runway that is S-turning and landing with a 9 knot tailwind?
Disclaimer: This did not happen to me, nor did it happen at my company.
