Rejected TO: ATL 10/10/03

[peterbuckstolemymeds]

Hello folks.

Was exposed to my first aborted TO at atlanta last week. Seems like about a third of the way through the roll the pilot chose to stay on terra firma, gave a firm-but-fair application of the anchors and pulled off the runway.

No real drama, all seemed well under control. Flight deck
explained that he had an indication that he probably could have lived with, but chose to play it safe, anyway, and he's check it out.

BUT the next thing that happened totally surprised me. He said "We should be in the air in just a few minutes time..." and we were. In fact, he taxied and took off without even barely coming to a halt!

And that at a busy airport like ATL!?

Question: do ATCs give a/c that have rejected TOs priority over waiting aircraft, so that pax don't have enough time to do the "let me off" thing?

Any other observations/comments welcome.

Thanks!

[av8boy]

Nothing to do with the pax and any desire among them to depart the airframe. If the aircraft has a departure slot and I can still get it airborne within that slot on a second try, that's what's going to happen. If I can negotiate something that allows me to get it airborne a little late, consider it done. It's a win/win situation. Other aircrews are not going to complain, because everybody knows that "but for the grace of God..." Me? I'm selfish. If I don't get you in the air you're going to continue milling about smartly on the airport and make more work for everybody. Not to mention the fact that everybody wants to encourage this behavior. When there is a question as to whether to reject the takeoff or continue and there is room for discussion (as appears to be the case here), it's good not to penalize aircrew when they decide to err on the side of caution.

In my third decade of ATC now and I can't say that I've ever had any inkling to act based on whether or not passengers would like to return to the terminal. Sure, we all hate to see airplanes sit. However, I work with the guys in the pointy end (and to that captain who went out of his way to mention that both ends are a bit pointy, you KNOW what I mean!) of the flying machine to ensure the safe, orderly and expeditious movement of these aircraft. I can honestly say I've never delayed or expedited anyone on the basis of anything but OPERATIONAL necessity, as I saw it. As for delays--when that happens, I share the info with the flight crew and they tell me what they need to do. If the crew needs to return to the terminal to disembark folks, then that's the plan. But it never crossed my mind as a reason, on my own, to give someone a second quick shot at departure.


Dave

[peterbuckstolemymeds]

Thanks, Dave, for your expeditious insight. Much appreciated.

I've got to tell you, buddy, I'm thrilled to have your perspective and to be able to superimpose it on a situation I've experienced to (hopefully!) help make sense of it.

What's more, it gives me a greater appreciation of the work that people like you do -- and another reason to be grateful for it.

As it happens, I was on that flight to teach a workshop to some people who'd been (probably reluctantly) pulled out of their daily schedules to listen to me, and I was appalled at the thought that they'd be sitting around, simmering their resentment, as the "guy from head office" was late.

Thanks, presumably, to ATC of course, I wasn't. And we had a fun workshop, and got out of work on a beautiful friday afternoon an hour early!

Thanks again!

[av8boy]

Glad to help!

By the way, I would have thought that Michael Stipe would've stole your meds...

Dave