Runway Safety: Providence, RI (2013)

On Dec. 6, 1999, United 1448 made one wrong turn while taxiing in severely reduced visibility. It became the first link in a chain of mistaken assumptions by its crew and the tower controller.

[@castnerscutthroats9297]

US Air2998 absolutely did the right thing

[@QemeH]

+Eye's WideOpen They are without a doubt the heros of this story!

[@hardy2k11]

Hes the only PIC that was staying ahead of what was going on. This was another Tenerife (canary islands) waiting to happen

[@armanbath]

saved the lives of so many people

[@Evan-ed7pu]

I mean DUH? It was never in question whether or not they did the right thing after the fact

[@jmowreader9555]

"Tower, an airplane just took off right in front of us" should have tipped off that controller that United took a wrong turn somewhere in that foggy mess.

[@xtal567]

jmowreader I hope they were fired for this.

[@googaagoogaa12345678]

hell in that transmission you can hear the fedex as well going over

[@xtal567]

It’s crazy you are right. It can be heard over the transmission. If I was the tower I would have stopped all movements until it was sorted. By hindsight is 20/20.

[@Irisedpig]

Ahh but they DIDN'T say "just in front of us" though - all they said was "somebody just took off!". While the surprise in their tone and context clues suggest to us (with the benefit of the full knowledge of the situation) that he meant "holy shit a plane took off over us/way too close", he didn't actually verbalise information to that effect. I do wonder if it would have helped her grasp the situation faster (and avoid telling another plane to take off) if they'd been more explicit - tho she does then ignore/disbelieve their report of being on an active runway so .... who knows!

[@sludge4125]

@@xtal567 The investigation determined the ATCer was blameless.

[@lm1584]

Holy cow - Tenerife avoided, but just barely. United made a Taxiway mistake (it happens) but the controllers' actions after that were completely inappropriate.

[@hardy2k11]

Thats what I said sir...Almost. Everyone is disoriented

[@emelody7849]

Heroes come in many different forms. That night it was the pilots of USair 2998, who potentially saved the lives of everyone aboard the two airplanes. Very well done, sir

[@minetruly]

Some heroes save the day by running to the danger. Other heroes save the day by staying put.

[@idrisea3247]

Obviously United made a mistake, however they told ATC two things that should have caused alarm, 1. they just saw an aircraft take off (next to their position) and 2. United sees taxiway Kilo. ATC just had a single-track mind and keeps asking aircraft to takeoff. Good lord, ATC was literally operating in the dark. This could have caused a major disaster. I guess this was before the days of IPADs being ubiquitous and or geo-referenced taxi diagrams.

[@SeamusDonohueEVEOnline]

Way before, yes. This was 10 years before iPads and 2 years before iPods.

[@hobbified]

United should have been clearer about "someone took off 20 feet in front of us", and shouldn't have reconfirmed they were waiting at 23R when they were sitting right at the 23L marker, and when they knew they were on Kilo, which clearly doesn't cross 23R on the chart. But tower should have *woken up* and realized that inconsistent information means a dangerous situation a hell of a lot sooner.

[@dennylogan8195]

The flight crew of US Air 2998 were hopefully congratulated for stopping a disaster from happening.

[@minetruly]

They were. United 1448 was debriefed with no disciplinary action. ATC was allowed to return to position after retraining.

[@DeltaFoxtrotWhiskey3]

I wish the video had continued longer to show the outcome of how the controller finally figured out where the lost aircraft was. I get that it’s slightly beyond the scope of the video but it just feels incomplete without seeing the full picture, which is quite ironic since paying attention to the big picture was precisely what prevented a catastrophe.

[@douglas2lee929]

The full length video IS on utube, search for something like "providence incursion" or something like that.

[@conorcorrigan765]

Controller: Hey want to tempt fate on a foggy runway at night? Pilot: Um no Controller: *surprised pikachu face*

[@dfg1958]

Controller was in error. Even though the one pilot was out of place, she should have stopped all traffic until the confusion was cleared up.

[@rubenvillanueva2753]

David Grier Exactly, and with the vis as it was, why not get airport operations to send out a follow me vehicle? If that controller worked in my tower i would have revoked the license!

[@chrisgast]

They weren't even sure where 1448 was exactly (1448 didn't, either). It would've been better (more time efficient) just to temporarily cease takeoff clearances and direct/guide 1448 to the gate. The controller should have had the pilots read out the signs that they see. The pilots clearly didn't have any sense of direction. When the controller asked if they were facing NW or SE, they didn't answer that - at least not correctly. If my hearing served me right, they actually gave a heading of 200, which is SW - not at all where they should be. All they had to do was look at their heading indicator or their compass. Sounds like they were both rookie pilots/very inexperienced, and the controller was just competent up to her frustratingly stubborn attitude.

[@ninedaysjane2466]

NTSB (who know more than your stupid asses) found the controller AND the crew of 1448 both fucked up. Funny how men fail to notice the complete breakdown of CRM on 1448. Always easier to blame the woman.

[@nickgerroir9279]

For a second lets say the controller was a male, instead of a female. If HE had continued to clear a plane for takeoff even though HE had no idea where the 757 was, we would still be saying the same thing "the controller was at fault" Yes, the crew of the United 757 made a wrong turn and should be blamed for this too, but people aren't blaming the controller because it happened to be a female in the tower that night, they're placing blame on her because she was letting her temper get to her and she was trying to clear a plane to takeoff into another aircraft. But yes, please, continue to push your feminist agenda in the multiple comments you've made.

[@rogerwilco2]

@William W. Campbell-Shepherd IX She wasn't listening. When the United reported an active runway, everything should have stopped. She assumed they made a mistake. They did, but not the mistake she thought they had made. Both are at fault here.

[@garyvale8347]

1448 made a mistake due to the reduced visibility and because USAir 2998 was listing to the confusion, made a very wise decision to hold....ATC should have been disciplined for not having all planes immediately hold their positions until the situation was resolved and made safe... seems it could be used as a training film for ATC in poor ground visibility conditions...

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

Gary Vale • It's my understanding it has been used in training, and I agree it's very good for that!

[@ninedaysjane2466]

1448 didn't just "make a mistake." They made multiple mistakes because CRM totally broke down. At least that's that the NTSB found.

[@speedbird1598]

@@ninedaysjane2466 Something tells me that Jane was the controller on that night

[@mrjjman2010]

Speedbird hahahaha i didn’t think about it but you’re probably right considering the comments in response to every single comment that even slightly critiques the controller, even if they also say the pilots made a mistake. She must be the same person.

[@ew12345671]

Controller: "I can't see anything from the tower" Soon after -"He's not anywhere near the runway" You can't see anything so how do you know! Smh

[@muzero2642]

If you don’t get fired after a reaction like that, how to people ever lose their jobs?

[@natural1952]

Infuriating!

[@rogerwilco2]

@William W. Campbell-Shepherd IX The pilot said 23 Left, and just had a plane take off and nearly miss them. They knew they were on an active runway.

[@michellelaroche2189]

Also--"we're approaching kilo and someone took off"... Shouldn't that have been a red flag?

[@jaysmith1408]

@@michellelaroche2189 never mind the headset mic picking up the 727 lumbering by no less

[@MasterClassComments]

Cleared him for takeoff AFTER he said he was on an active runway. Unbelievable

[@6862ptc]

The USAir Captain made a great choice....wow. An unsung hero, who probably saved hundreds of lives that night.

[@appleglory]

Both Pilots and Controller are in error. That controller made the situation worse by not fixing the accident 'chain', and yes you can see that she let her arrogance get to her head

[@endotype2286]

Well, they were clearly in error, but I fail to see how the controller was arrogant. Do we have any clue about her mindset that evening? Are you judging her by the tone of her voice on radio, perhaps?

Endotype She was just informed about a near collision and is told several times that the taxiing plane is not where it should be and STILL clears for takeoff instead of figuring out what the actual situation is. The arrogance is huge with this one and she should not be working as an ATC after showing her incompetence in such a clear way.

[@endotype2286]

"Arrogance - offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride. " -Source: Dictionary.com I still fail to see that here. According to this video, she was never informed about any near collision. The transmissions from United 1448 were confused and incorrect. Just by viewing this video, I can't even tell how near the collision actually was - can you?

[@endotype2286]

limpack1, I was thinking it had something to do with her voice, but you're right - I do have such a disability. My brain does not process senses in the way that is considered normal. I lack the ability to understand cues from things such as tone of voice and body language. It can make communication with me extremely difficult. I want to agree with your bottom line, that is how things should be. The controller's mistakes are made blatantly obvious in this video. But the fact is that sometimes a video like this is necessary to educate people in the industry. For all I know, as a layman, the scenario of an air plane failing to proceed in a straight line along a taxiway might not have been part of this controller's training.

[@herestoyoudoc]

(1) Pilots should've had their taxiway diagrams out in such poor conditions. UA 1448 would've known something was seriously wrong if they had a map handy. (2) With a plane possibly out of position, controller should've stopped giving runway clearances until she figured out where everyone was. (3) US 2998 shows heroic situational awareness in awful conditions.

[@av8ionUSMC]

I am a controller and this controller made a horrible mistake that nearly impacted hundreds of lives and families. Every controllers worst nightmare. Glad I can learn from this too although with 23 years experience, I'm comfortable saying most of us would NOT have responded like this.

[@l44va]

Thank God nobody was coming in to land on 5R during this debacle!

[@chrisgast]

I'm guessing the ATC was managing both landings and takeoffs. So, they would've known if someone was coming in for landing - unless they didn't contact them and was landing unannounced - which you're NOT supposed to do as a pilot.

[@irgski]

US Air 2998 was the only smart one in the bunch!

[@computer5272]

They stated multiple times that taxiway kilo was on their right side, what I don't understand is how neither the controller nor the pilots looked at a fucking airport diagram and easily figured out the intersection they were on!

[@QemeH]

+Computer Stubborn and know-it-all ATC are the deadliest! It's why they try to breed it out of them in training.

[@cc201135]

+Computer yes i agree with you, it looks like only the USAir 2998 pilot has the airport diagram on his hands that night. United 1448 pilot used the airport diagram as napkins when they're having a dinner and the controller used airport diagram as toilet paper.

[@chrisgast]

Yeah, both the pilots and the controller were confused as hell. They both had too much "get-there-itis".

[@speedbird1598]

Pilots were ignorant, controller was arrogant. Probably the most dangerous combination in the world

[@smaze1782]

Saying United 1448 is on November "by the runways here" should have been an indication that they had no idea where they were.

[@Tindometari]

November crosses the intersection of 16 and 5R ... if the United pilots were expecting to see that intersection, getting to the intersection at the end of Bravo might have reinforced the idea that they were on November. Either intersection could be described as 'by the runways here'.

[@anthonyrusso6696]

@@Tindometari Yeah, and 1448 further contributed to the confusion by mis-speaking and reporting their position as 23R instead of 23L @2:59. Understandable mistake in the sense that everyone was having a hard time seeing, but 1448 and ATC both could've communicated better.

[@connorbegley8464]

⁠​It was understandable that the united pilot thought they were at the intersection of 23R and 16 instead of 23L and 16 because of the symmetry there, and he did incorrectly say 23R, but shortly after at 3:15 he actually does say “Runway 23 uh Left here”. At that point the controller really should’ve realized the problem.

[@saucepanclangerclub2035]

At least the ATC lady kept that professional, airy, everything-is-going-fine intonation in the voice while everything was going wrong.

[@sludge4125]

Agreed. In fact, if the tape continued, you would have heard her get angrier and angrier.

[@gloomyblackfur399]

The NTSB never faults the ATC, despite when they could not be more blameworthy. The United caused the initial incursion, but the ATC belligerently ordered more incursions, despite United pleading for them to stop.

[@NicholasLittlejohn]

Controller union?

[@jmflyer55]

Smart crews, idiot controller. "There's no plane near the runway!" As PIC, it is OUR responsibility to fly our planes. NOT ATC. With respect to the confused crew, this can happen very easily. Sometimes navigating the taxi ways seems harder than the whole trip prior. So, I understand first hand how this can happen. Hats off to the crew, refused to take off after clearance. That Captain was in control of his plane, and he didn't let ATC mindlessly take control despite what was going on. Bravo.......

[@chrisgast]

There was only one smart crew, and that was 2998.

[@ninedaysjane2466]

This is used in CRM training for pilots, but most of the men commenting don't have the foggiest idea why.

[@gloomyblackfur399]

While I agree with you, I also hate that sentiment. It's that sentiment that led the NTSB to hold the ATC blameless here (as it does in almost every accident). We need to hold the ATC responsible for its mistakes when they make them. A severe mistake like this should lead to severe consequences. She practically DEMANDED that the USAir take off, even though USAir refused, United was screaming to stop, and no one knew exactly where the plane was. True, had USAir taken off, they would have suffered more in the resulting crash than the ATC, but that doesn't mean that the ATC somehow carries less moral blame.

[@speedbird1598]

@@ninedaysjane2466 Jesus Christ your crusade is insufferable. Are you the controllers wife?

[@rogerwilco2]

The crew of the USair was the only smart one. The United and the ATC were both especially poor and could each have caused a lethal accident with ease. The FedEx could have known something was up, and at least also have seen the United and warned the tower.

[@1978garfield]

This was starting to remind me of Tenerife. Fortunately US Air chose to set tight.

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

Was there anyone in this hair -raising incident who was disciplined? ATC had a case of "I'm right-itis" for sure. Lots of people lived to see the sunrise the next day and for that, I am thankful.

[@chrisgast]

Yes. Both the crew of 1448 and the controller.

[@muzero2642]

@@chrisgast The controller wasn't disciplined, that is the problem. She was only required to undergo training before being put back on the job. Insane.

[@nidurnevets]

I remember that this incident was used in a training seminar I attended some years ago.

[@jsm3233]

The situation wasn't resolved when the video ended. Wish they would have let it run longer.

[@kevinjakey851]

This is an outstanding video. I was attending a human factors course at USC as part of the air safety certificate program. As part of the coursework, there is a case study on the Tenerife accident as an example of when situational awareness and other external factors contribute to an accident. I was aware of this video and presented it to the class as an example of when SA, communication, and good decision making provide effective barriers in the Swiss cheese model. I hope this video gets more attention and get included in coursework worldwide.

[@ggurks]

When a plane says they're lost the controller shoud just stop everything immediately

[@Lehmann108]

Excellent pilot holding until the situation is clear

[@rekunta]

Fire that ATC, her degree of arrogance and certainty in light of continuing confusion, doubt, and statements by others they witnessed a plane taking off right in front of them and that they were on an active runway is astonishing.

[@jesse00pno]

Did somebody give the crew of US Air 2998 a huge bonus? They should’ve! Good work, 2998!!

[@danielrose1392]

I think one contributing factor are the poorly designed taxiways. The pilot was about to enter a runway, but because two runways and two taxiways intersected at about the same place he could not identify the runway he was about to enter.

[@chrisgast]

Maybe, but I think it was merely the fact that they didn't pay attention. If they couldn't see, they should've slowed down or even stopped to confirm which taxiway they were on and needed to get on.

[@1978garfield]

I am surprised (and glad) massive runway crashes like Tenerife are not more common. This happened 20 years ago . Do towers have radar or anything to let them see the location of planes on the runway now?

[@anthonyrusso6696]

@@1978garfield Yeah, on most airports now there's ground radar to establish where the planes are in situations like this. Class B airports (high traffic) have more elaborate systems that connect with the plane's transponder so ATC can determine spacing minima and runway incursions.

[@robwhite2282]

That controller almost forced a mishap. I hope she was fired or seriously reprimanded.

[@gloomyblackfur399]

Nope. The NTSB absolved her of blame and pinned it all on the United. Seriously. Rule number one at NTSB: "ATC is never, ever responsible for anything because PIC!"

[@chrisgast]

@@gloomyblackfur399 NTSB should've blamed her in part. ATC was responsible for her stubbornness that almost caused death.

[@Raison_d-etre]

@@gloomyblackfur399 You lie.

[@ClaudioPedrazzi]

Extremely didactic and interesting, well explained, thanks for sharing

[@defenestratefalsehoods]

If the aircrew tell you that they're looking at an active Runway why would the controller tell them no the runway you're at is not active when they just saw a plane take off. The controller needed to be fired.

[@tiny_toilet]

"United 1448. We're approaching Kilo here...uhh -" **Sound of 727 screaming right past over radio** "...Um, somebody just took off!!" *ATC: "Whatevs. All aircraft on field, wherever you are, everyone immediately cleared for takeoff. Go, go, go!"* "I'm trying to advise you we're on an active runway." *ATC: "Guy, you don't even know where you are. There is no Kilo where you were meant to be. C'mon, ya pussies, the runways are clear! Fuckin' move it already!!"* This shit is hilarious but only because, thanks to the excellent judgement of USAir 2998's crew, it wasn't a horrific tragedy like Tenerife. The controller's judgement was beyond egregious. I don't know if remedial training can ever break that sort of wrongheaded attitude.

[@gmccord1970]

Give the pilot of 2998 a pay raise and medal for being so vigilant

[@SGTSnakeUSMC]

Don't know why they didn't see the taxiway B sign but perhaps they saw the rwy16 sign so turned down B. Maybe this airport should tell pilots to cross 23R from N, not 16. Very confusing layout.

[@chrisgast]

That's why they've updated the layout since. Runway 23R/16L has turned into taxiway V(Victor).

[@ssbohio]

@@chrisgast 23R/5L? Is that the one that's now Victor?

[@chrisgast]

@@ssbohio Yes.

[@yobb1n544]

"He's not anywhere near the runway" as he's literally sitting in the middle of it. 2998 was absolutely aware of the confusion and rightfully didn't want to have anything to do with it until it was resolved.

[@davidbucklew7611]

Wow! Somebody is not paying attention! ATC was an idiot for sure and 1448 obviously wasn't familiar with this airport as required. So many mistakes. Thanks God the crew of 2998 had some brains!

[@Lun1andKun2]

“and uh United 1448 here were approaching kilo here uh um” is my fav part somehow

[@MileHighClub211]

I seriously hope with all might that that controller was relieved of her duties as her mistakes were far from typical! "23R is not an active runway, it's a taxiway when IFR in the dark!" I honestly could not believe what I was hearing as she started clearing aircraft for takeoff on runway 5R!!! Let's do a little mental math here… 230 or runway heading for runway 23R, minus 180 to find the recipicol of runway 23R gives us runway 5!! Unbelievable!! Does she not understand that United 1448 is advising them that they are obviously in the path of aircraft on their takeoff role?? It is my understanding that United 1448 happens to be ONNN the active runway!!! Lets just be glad that no twisted or burning metal was amongst the scenery that night as it came especially close as United 1448 damn near got pummeled by an oncoming aircraft taking off on runway 5R!! I understand mistakes happen, but Jesus, this made my knuckles turn white!!

[@jonpierce-ruhland271]

You're a little off, there. She's right, 23R is not an active runway. The runway opposite 5R is 23L, not 23R. The error was in 1448's initial (erroneous) report that they were on 23R when in fact they were on 23L/5R - a fact they communicated to a controller who had stopped listening.

[@NicholasLittlejohn]

spelling

[@bugsysdadenterprises]

Add to that, the GA pads and FBO are all on that end of the airport. Together that would make that intersection the busiest one at PVD and the worst place for an incident.

[@rogerwilco2]

There are both a 23L (the active one) and 23R (where 1448 should have been). 1448 are stating they are on 23L though, and have just almost hit another plane taking off. You are as confused as the pilots of 1448 in what is happening in the story.

[@SGTSnakeUSMC]

Good call for the second jet that held. The first one narrowly missed.

[@LyndaWhite-ju1gj]

The controller should have stopped everything cold turkey until everyone was on the same page, she should have been able to sense something was amiss with the whole situation.

[@hughbassoon]

Well it definitely needs to be discussed. What procedures have been developed by the airport for such situations

[@russcrawford3310]

When in doubt, hold short ...

[@connorbegley8464]

3:10 after incorrectly saying they were at the intersection of 23R and 16, the united pilot actually corrects himself and says “23 uh LEFT here” which is the active runway. After hearing this the controller should’ve realized their true position, but instead she clears US Air for take off.

[@intheshell35ify]

2998 said we ain't going and you can't make us.

[@Irisedpig]

I'm curious actually. Would the lost plane - having seen a plane take off over them and realised they were on an active runway - have had grounds to declare an emergency to force ATC to pay attention and suspend flights?

[@ramimehyar481]

US Air2998 Kick-ass airmenship.

[@seraphina985]

United made a mistake but this controller was an idiot, if you don't have a clue where one of your planes are you really shouldn't be clearing any aircraft movement until that's resolved surely. If that means having to have an airport car go out and search the airport to find the missing plane so be it, you need that information to do your job properly.

[@danielvitiello1815]

I hope that controller was fired quickly

[@bladebaron9351]

I can't believe I just heard this ATC listen to a flight say, basically, that they're lost in the fog among the taxiways, then the very next SECOND, clears another heavy for takeoff. Trusting to God to make sure United isn't near 5R? Not today, lady. Geez, I'll go up to Logan next time.

[@TheRealCFF]

Also very bad choices on the part of ATC having an airport that socked in and low IFR conditions, with an airplane somewhere that it should not be, yet continuing to clear people to takeoff on a runway. They need to sort out and verify the location of that aircraft and make sure the other aircraft knew where it was and where it was going before they ever commenced issuing takeoff clearances again

[@afdchocolatemilk2107]

I trained out of KPVD and the fog there comes off the bay and gets as thick as mud. I also had know idea that there was a 5R and 5L there. if they had a 5L back then it now no longer exists.

[@sanjeev3912]

1448 after landing aircraft goes to parking slot or back to active runway

[@Utubin]

Dayyyyyyyyam. S.m.h. . Gotta be something better. We people are people we make to many mistakes. So glad no one died. However I must say technology kills as well. I guess it's Mercy of God ........ I'm just glad this day everyone involved lived to see another day. 12.14.22 👍

[@jimrossi7708]

Okay, shouldn’t a explanation be given instead of cutting the video at 4:23 ?

[@michellelaroche2189]

Why did they keep clearing for takeoff when United 1448 says that they were approaching an active runway, shouldn't it have been a giveaway that something was wrong? Kudos to US air 2998 for declining the clearance for takeoff.

[@MadSocial]

Once everyone figured out where everyone was, did no one think to pull out an airport diagram? ATC probably shouldn't have cleared folks for take off, but how did the pilot make the turn on Taxiway K, without knowing where they were turning. Had they had a diagram, they would know they just cleared the runway, have to cross K, then go to T. It all started with the flight crew.

[@chrisgast]

Yep. Both the United pilots and the controller screwed up. However, the pilots weren't even on the Kilo taxiway. They were still on Bravo.

[@beepbop6697]

They turned on B, not K. Lack of reading and understanding airport diagrams indeed.

[@13rdp]

Not in 2013 but in 1999, heard the full record in 2002 during a crm course.

[@smudent2010]

You need to be 100% sure when you give that take off clearance

[@jonslg240]

Wow that ATC should be retained.. but I'm guessing this incident was all the retraining she needed. It should have been clear to her when they said they were by an active runway that they were by the *only* active runway where a plane just took off, e.g. 5R

[@davidcole333]

no one seems to have the extended audio. This is cut way too short.

[@markbryan9989]

I use to fly out of PVD. This controller sounds like the same one that I had more than one "encounter" with. Hope she is no longer there.

[@jsfdempsey]

when you can't see much of anything ahead of you, mistakes will continue to occur-- the FAA needs to hurry up and get new imaging technologies into the tower so controllers can see where planes are situated.

[@chrisgast]

Yeah, I'm surprised that the FAA hasn't gotten the technology now to have more precise aircraft location - with the kind of technology we have today.

[@rogerwilco2]

That is actually very difficult. Even GPS is often wrong. You would need some kind of ground radar maybe. And any technology can fail.

[@kentd4762]

The controller a huge problem in this situation and only USAir saved it from getting worse. Once United told her they were near Kilo, she should've realized they weren't where she thought they were supposed to be and NEVER should've cleared another a/c for takeoff until situation was resolved. Her annoyance and anger is beyond unprofessional.

[@paulmurphy773]

In my opinion, this being at night and visibility so bad that the controller could not see the runways to safely give clearances .... this airport should have been closed.....is there any records in the NTSB investigation as to what the RVR was on the active runway that night?

[@scottpatrick8645]

Thank GOD for the US Air 2998 pilot!!!!!

[@svenf1]

Holy moly... a complete gong show with incompetent pilots and a righteous ground controller. Fortunately in this day and age of screens in the cockpit with GPS-powered taxi diagrams this is much harder to accomplish.

[@reformCopyright]

Two words: Confirmation bias. When you have the wrong mental picture, it's very easy to disregard data that contradicts it and look for data that supports it. See also: AF447.

[@thisnameisok]

where is the rest of it? it's like it cuts off for episode 2.. what happened after this??

[@patrickdroney4443]

Wow. Close call.

[@jamesharber7820]

Would it be politically incorrect to say that the Controller is a ding-bat? If not, I apologize for asking the question.

[@ThePrimeMinisterOfTheBlock]

I trust the controller was suitably chastised for her negligence.

[@BGFutureBG]

3:45 probs to that pilot!

[@TheCymbalProject]

Shared blame on this one, but the poor conditions greatly exacerbated everything as well.

[@mrunning10]

US Air 2998 Pilot is a SkyGod!

[@Irisedpig]

A recording that includes the end of the incident with 2998 refusing to take off until 1448 reported being at their gate, and some additional info on the aftermath, is available here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6PdoamZgNSFr9k ... no diagrams tho so definitely watch this video first.

[@mahlstadt]

That ATC controller nearly caused an incident every 28 days

[@bunglejoy3645]

If weather was so bad they should have cancelled flights, it sounded as if ATC officer was in their on her own she can't do dozens of tasks at once

[@lojosol]

You didnt include the entire incident

[@frankchap5653]

Why That Controller Did Not Pick Up On United Response "Somebody Just Took Off" Is Astounding. This Was NOT Ohare Or JFK! It Was The Fed-Ex Plane Obviously!!

[@gravesclayton3604]

Congrats to USair 2298. Don't let a non-pilot who isn't on your airplane, and can't see who or what is where, fly for you! If there is only one active runway at night, and a pilot reports an aircraft taking off over-top of him, someone is not where you think they are. She needed to listen to what the pilots were saying, and ditch the self-righteous DMV-bitch attitude, or go back to her job power-tripping at DMV.

[@chrisgast]

It was 2998, not 2298.

[@beepbop6697]

​@@gravesclayton3604 same thing ATC said.

[@janeshawhaley404]

somboddy just tookoff

[@BoulevardFan28]

So you just had a pilot state that another aircraft just went over the top of them, and you continue to clear aircraft for takeoff on the same runway? Remind me to never fly out of your airport, since you're clearly not interested in safe airport operations.

[@douglasmcginity3327]

Anyone else think it is insanely dangerous for a tower to get info from planes that can easily be lost and confused as to their location?

[@tedstyle3798]

1448 screwed it up

[@alexsaab8089]

PVD is _actually_ in Warwick I live right across the street

[@hughbassoon]

Not necessarily the tower persons fault if no procedure has been developed ahead of a situation like this. Runway safety course probably deals with this

[@janeshawhaley404]

United 1448 you shouldn’t anywhere near

[@petersmith8134]

Controller is already terminated I hope.

[@TimeTraveller-xt1uo]

Tower would be at Fault The pilots where wise

[@chrisgast]

Yeah, the tower would be at fault for clearing aircraft when she shouldn't.

[@ninedaysjane2466]

NTSB found the controller and the pilots of 1448 at fault.

[@CapStar362]

is it just me, or do the visual representations look like either MS Flight Sim 2K4 or FSX? either way, nice job.

[@googaagoogaa12345678]

maybe its Prepar3D the commercial more business oriented version of FSX by Lockheed Martin i have v3 on my computer and that definitely looks like it to me

[@propellerjfk]

Talking about 6th sense

[@crisp.3481]

Overconfident and cocky ATC on absolutely no base, just assumptions. She could just figure out that the UAL1448 crew saw somewhere KILO, not invented it.

[@BIGDROC99]

How do you have a commercial airport with no ground radar?

[@andrewfielding1342]

Mike Doggers Sadly it’s 2018 and lots and lots of commercial airports are still without “ground radar”

[@blkpylut]

That Controller was as PIG headed as my wife!! No matter what I say, she think she's always right no matter what!!! Ugghh.

[@Raison_d-etre]

It's good to know that FAA was more intelligent than the people on this page. People claim there should be multiple checks against errors but they blame ATC for not being the last line of defense. It takes only one person to realize the mistake and somebody was there to prevent a collision. The system worked. Stop calling for people to be fired or you'll cause people to cover up their errors. I'd hate to fly in a plane flown by anyone so ignorant of CRM as they show on this page. Even if ATC were the last line of defense--they aren't--why should the last error be the one to be fired and not the first error? Some people blame ATC's attitude. Well, this wouldn't be the first time someone in aviation had a mistaken situational awareness and held onto it. It's human fallibility, not necessarily an attitude problem. In this case ATC thought that the plane was just short of Tango and held onto that belief. It's human. If you don't understand how such a mistake could be made and could persist despite challenges by evidence, you don't understand how errors are made and you're just as liable to mistakes as the ATC.

[@ryancrazy1]

you are literally relying on pilots to tell you where they are yet you ignore them when they tell you where they are and clear aircraft for takeoff exactly into the position they are reporting....