Originally Posted by
ATC Watcher
But , back to DCA , I 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 ?
The visual (circle) 33 is by far the most commonly used flight path to get aircraft into 33. The infrequently-used RNAV 33 closely tracks the visual 33 flight path. There is also the rare visual straight-in for 33 (see last year’s runway incursion with N250AA).
The NTSB preliminary report states that about 4% of DCA’s arrivals use runway 33. With 25,000 monthly flights, you can do the math. 33 used more frequently than average in the winter due to the typical strong NW winds seen in the DC area. That was the case on 1/29.
While it may be a wishful narrative that pilots get sent to ATC jail if “unable,” doubt that’s anywhere close to the truth. I think the reality is if a pilot states “unable,” ATC makes the necessary adjustments, which may involve an aircraft being resequenced in the queue. Don’t really think ATC has the authority to deny an aircraft a landing clearance out of spite if flight planned for DCA.
Originally Posted by
abax
It is buried in all these pages of this thread,,,but it seems that tragically so, 2-3 aircrafts before the fatal 5342, ATC requested rwy33 to another crew (same aircraft, same airline iirc) , and they declined ("Unable")
And just as the collision was occurring, JIA5347 was checking in on the Mount Vernon Visual
specifically requesting 33. Luck of the draw…