Short Final: Man Of Few Words

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 03:55 PM ET

Verified

[Credit: FAA]

Key Takeaways:

The flight was inbound to Teterboro, one of the world's busiest GA airports, during a high-traffic period with continuous, rapid ATC transmissions.
ATC issued a highly condensed instruction: "84 Papa Delta; 90; 2,000; Approach; Tower."
The co-pilot wisely chose not to expand this brief ATC instruction into a lengthy, detailed readback, demonstrating good judgment in a busy environment.

See a mistake? Contact us.

From IFR Magazine reader Daniel Spitzer

My copilot Daniel and I were inbound to New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport in our Embraer Praetor 500. Our arrival was during a busy time for one of the busiest GA airports in the world.

In the middle of continuous rapid-fire transmissions on Newark Approach, ATC instructed us, “84 Papa Delta; 90; 2,000; Approach; Tower.”

Thankfully, Daniel had the good sense NOT to read that back as, “Turn left to 090 degrees, maintain 2,000 until established, cleared ILS Approach Runway 6, contact Tower now on 119.5, Praetor 8 Papa Delta.”