Specificity 101
Heard on Philadelphia Approach:
Duke 1234: Philly Approach, we’re gonna begin our VFR descent for the field.
Controller: Duke 1234, say altitude descending to.
Duke 1234: We’re descending for the field.
Controller: Roger, Duke 1234, say altitude descending to.
Duke 1234: Well, the field elevation is 78 feet, so … hopefully, we won’t be going below that.
Controller: Squak 1200, radar services terminated.
Short Final…
Key Takeaways:
- A pilot initiating a VFR descent ambiguously stated they were descending "for the field" without specifying a target altitude.
- The air traffic controller repeatedly asked for the specific altitude the pilot intended to descend to.
- The pilot failed to provide a precise target altitude, instead humorously referencing the field elevation.
- As a result of the pilot's lack of specificity, the controller terminated radar services.
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