Originally Posted by
ATC Watcher
........... But , back to DCA , I would be interested to know if previous instructions to circle 33 while on finals 01 was a commonly used procedure , and if it was occasionally refused by some pilots in the past and what was then the reaction of ATC .. divert to Dulles ?
I've no insider knowledge but, given how the first AA accepted it and the following AA asked for it specifically, it may have been common practice within AA. Not all line pilots may fully appreciate the potential issues linked with, say, that particular sidestep.
I raised the airline responsibility bit more as "idle thoughts" to illustrate that everyone can play their part in making things safer in cases such as this - including airlines. However, it does need (a) identification of the issue, (b) then good analysis to scope it all and, finally, if there is a "real" potential issue after that analysis, (c) to work out a formal policy (here with AA and DCA) so everyone knows what's what and, importantly, appreciates any knock-on issues that such a policy may generate - such as maybe cutting down on ATC's flexibility on occasion.
So, for eg, it could have been a joint AA/DCA policy that AA would not be placed on the sidestep, or accepted on the sidestep, while something was on Route 4. Irrelevant here now as Route 4 has gone ..... but the above concept can be applied to other potential issues at other airfields.
Anyway, just some thoughts. I'll revert to lurking! Cheers,
H 'n' H