Lecture
This exchange between air traffic controllers concerns communications between the outer marker controller (BPRM), the flight director (RP), the meteorological observation post, and approach control — under conditions of reduced visibility while several aircraft were landing. The main task was to ensure a safe landing while complying with weather minima (especially visibility).
Operational coordination: the BPRM actively communicated with the meteorological post and approach control to clarify data and relay it to the RP.
Attempt at a visual transition: when the instruments showed insufficient visibility, the participants looked for an opportunity to switch the aircraft to a visual approach — this is permissible when real visual visibility exists.
Recording of the discrepancy: when instrument readings and visual assessment diverged, the BPRM proposed recording a «discrepancy» — this is important for documenting decisions.
Coordination with meteorology: constant clarification with the meteorological posts regarding instrument and visual assessments — this is the correct step for decision-making.
Pressure on meteorological staff: there were attempts to «persuade» them to report 1,500 meters of visibility despite the instrument readings. This can lead to a violation of regulations.
Unclear transmission of information: at several points the conversations were emotional and unstructured, which hinders accurate decision-making.
Risky assumptions: switching to a visual approach under questionable visibility is a potentially dangerous decision, especially when there is no confidence in the actual conditions.
Insufficient data recording: although a «discrepancy» is mentioned, there is no clear procedure visible for registering it and entering it in the log.
The participants acted under conditions of stress and uncertainty, trying to ensure the landing. However, in a number of cases safety gave way to expediency, which could have led to risks. Correct actions include clear data recording, compliance with regulations, and calm coordination. Incorrect actions include emotional pressure, attempts to «get around» instrument readings, and informal decisions.
If you'd like, I can draft a brief protocol of actions for similar situations or visualize an interaction diagram.
transcript table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the communication |
|---|---|---|
| 18:07:00 | RP | Well, what have you got there? |
| BPRM | I've got everything. What do you need? | |
| RP | What's your visibility? | |
| BPRM | Visibility? | |
| RP | Yes. | |
| BPRM | Well, the visibility is given from the start post, I don't even know what it is there | |
| RP | Well, how much do you see yourself? | |
| BPRM | Well, I can see 1,000, and I can't give more than that. | |
| RP | Yes, I called, what's with them there? I need to land three aircraft. | |
| BPRM | Really? | |
| RP | Yeah. | |
| BPRM | So what's the weather like on average? | |
| RP | Yes, they give 1,250, and because of 200 meters they want to divert somewhere. | |
| BPRM | All right, I'll call now. | |
| RP | I don't know, there's some young girl there. I'm not sure if she understood or not. | |
| BPRM | Ah, I see. | |
| RP | Anyway, tell her I'll give the command «control measurement». By the control measurement I need 1,500. All right? | |
| BPRM | Listen! About when will the aircraft arrive? | |
| RP | Well, the aircraft are already here, need to start descending. | |
| BPRM | Well, all right, all right, all right. | |
| RP | 50 km from Vologda. | |
| BPRM | Ah, all right then. | |
| RP | Hurry up, be quicker — as soon as the control measurement is done, have them give 1,500. | |
| BPRM | All right, fine. | |
| RP | That's all. Go ahead. | |
| 18:09:00 | Meteorological post | Yes. |
| BPRM | Girls, who's this? | |
| Meteorological post | What? | |
| BPRM | Haven't you left yet? | |
| Meteorological post | No. | |
| BPRM | What's going on with your visibility? | |
| Meteorological post | Well, what, 900 meters on the instrument, so that works out to 1,280, no matter how you slice it. | |
| BPRM | What on earth. |
continuation of the transcript table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the communication |
|---|---|---|
| — | Meteorological post | On both instruments. And to hell with them all. They ice up every half hour, so let them. On one it was also 900, now 1,100. And 1,100 still equals 1,470, already less than 1,500. |
| — | BPRM | Well, still, listen, 1,470 is almost 1,500. Listen, what does the strip chart show? |
| — | Meteorological post | The strip chart, I'll tell you the strip chart now. So 960, so 58, 58, and that's what it comes out to on the strip chart too. It's going to be even lower now, so let them not, you know, mess around. What's yours over the last 10 minutes? |
| — | BPRM | 120 |
| — | Meteorological post | 120, what if both instruments are doing that. |
| — | BPRM | Three aircraft, you understand, are already all circling over Vologda. |
| 18:10:00 | Meteorological post | I understand, Nadya, I understand, but you have to understand too. Well, I'm reporting what there is. |
| 18:11:00 | RP | Yes. |
| — | BPRM | Listen, well, I called, they don't have a clue over there. |
| — | RP | Well, what's with them, 1,280–1,000, 200 meters short, it's enough to drive you crazy. |
| — | BPRM | It really is enough to drive you crazy, well, wait now, the shift will change, I'll talk to the other one. It keeps dropping, I can't tell them to give 1,500 when that's what's on their instrument. If I were sitting there myself – that would be a different matter. Listen. |
| — | RP | Ah. |
| — | BPRM | And what if they land like that? |
| — | RP | Then it's a minimums violation, they get a citation and I get a citation. |
| — | BPRM | Disaster. Well, all right. |
| — | RP | Try talking to them. |
| 18:13:00 | Meteorological post | Hello. |
| — | BPRM | Lyuba, is that you? |
| — | Meteorological post | Yes. |
| — | BPRM | Have you already changed shifts? |
| — | Meteorological post | Uh-huh, Nadezhda is still here. |
| — | BPRM | Ah-h-h. |
| — | Meteorological post | Which of us goes first? |
| — | BPRM | What's yours over the last 10 minutes? |
| — | Meteorological post | I'll check now. 120, 1,280. And yours? |
| — | BPRM | Mine's over 1,000. Listen, can you see 1,500 visually? |
| — | Meteorological post | I'll tell you now. Of course, Nadya. |
| — | BPRM | Really? |
| — | Meteorological post | Yes. |
| — | BPRM | Ah, listen, what's the second instrument showing? |
| — | Meteorological post | Ah, well, wait, I'll check now. Just a moment. |
| — | BPRM | Three aircraft are diverting to the alternate. |
continuation of the table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the communication |
|---|---|---|
| — | Meteorological post | Right now the overall reading shows 750. |
| — | BPRM | On the instruments? |
| — | Meteorological post | Yes, 1,100. Well. So, since it shows 750, that's what we'll go ahead and give. |
| — | BPRM | Well, all right, what else can we do then. |
| — | Meteorological post | Well, there you go. An instrument is an instrument. I'll go make the call. |
| — | BPRM | Well, can you see 1,500 clearly by eye? |
| — | Meteorological post | No, not really. |
| — | BPRM | Poor. |
| — | Meteorological post | Yes, but she won't allow it to be given anyway, because, you know, today she's under a thousand, so by the instrument it's actually more convenient for her, for our Nyurka. |
| — | BPRM | For whom? |
| — | Meteorological post | Well, Nyurochka. Anna Grigoryevna. Ha, ha, ha, ha. |
| — | BPRM | Lyudochka. |
| — | Meteorological post | What? |
| — | BPRM | You decide for yourselves – how you want to observe it. |
| — | Meteorological post | Makes no difference to me. |
| — | BPRM | If you can see a lot. Well, all right, that's it. |
| 18:14:00 | Meteorological post | Uh-huh. |
| 18:23:00 | BPRM | Hello. |
| — | Meteorological post | Nadya? |
| — | BPRM | Yes. |
| — | Meteorological post | One of ours has now started showing 500 meters overall. |
| — | BPRM | Listen, then record it as a discrepancy, a discrepancy [both speaking at once] and give 1,500. |
| — | Meteorological post | 1,500? |
| — | BPRM | Yes. |
| — | Meteorological post | Well, for now we'll give 1,200, or, listen, approach was just yelling at us. Dima was yelling, Kartausov called. |
| — | BPRM | Listen, you understand – three aircraft 40 km from Vologda, they don't even have enough fuel to divert to the alternate. And you only gave 1,100, so give 1,500. |
| — | BPRM | Listen, do you see 1,500 visually? |
| — | Meteorological post | I'll check now. Seems like it's not very visible anyway. |
| — | BPRM | Visible? |
| — | Meteorological post | Visible. |
| — | BPRM | Well, give that 500, and 1,500 visually. |
| — | Meteorological post | Auntie Nyura will kill us. |
| — | BPRM | It's just a kilometer after all, she won't kill you, calm down. |
| — | Meteorological post | Ah, well, all right. |
continuation of the table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the communication |
|---|---|---|
| — | BPRM | All right. Everything's fine. |
| 18:24:00 | Approach | Approach here, hello! |
| — | BPRM | Kartausov, please. |
| — | Approach | He's not here. |
| — | BPRM | Not here? Really? And where could he be? Don't you know? |
| — | Approach | What? |
| — | BPRM | Where might he be, don't you know? |
| — | Approach | I know. |
| — | BPRM | Listen, those aircraft that were inbound to you, haven't they gone anywhere yet? |
| — | Approach | No, we're diverting them right now. They're all leaving us. |
| — | BPRM | Don't divert them, they're switching to visual, at 25 it'll be 1,500. |
| — | Approach | What? What? What? |
| — | BPRM | At 25 it'll be 1,500, they've switched to visual. That's from the outer marker. |
| — | Approach | All right. All right. Well, let's do it quickly then, or the aircraft will leave now. |
| 18:25:00 | Meteorological post | Hello! |
| — | BPRM | How much are you giving? 1,500? |
| — | Meteorological post | Yes, yes, well, we don't know exactly yet. |
| — | BPRM | Well, listen, since they've switched to visual, just give 1,500, they'll land within 5 minutes. |
| — | Meteorological post | Really? |
| — | BPRM | Yes. |
| — | Meteorological post | Well, people have already come to sort this out with us. |
| — | BPRM | Well, that's it. |
| — | Meteorological post | Uh-huh. |
| — | Meteorological post | What? |
| — | BPRM | Is your RP there? |
| — | Meteorological post | Yes. |
| — | BPRM | Put him on, please. |
| — | Meteorological post | Yes, here you go. |
| — | RP | Yes. |
| — | BPRM | Dmitry Fyodorovich? |
| — | RP | Yes. |
| — | BPRM | Don't scare our girls too much there. |
| — | RP | Yes, not too much. |
| — | BPRM | What do you see on the instrument? |
| — | RP | I see it. |
| — | BPRM | That's it then. Haven't they switched to visual? |
| — | RP | What? |
| — | BPRM | At 25, how much did they give? |
end of the table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the communication |
|---|---|---|
| — | RP | Yes, you understand, a discrepancy, well. |
| — | BPRM | There, well, I told them everything. |
| — | RP | Yes, I do see it in… |
| 18:27:00 | BPRM | A discrepancy. But before it was about right, now it's really started acting up. Well, that's it then. |
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