Short Final: Man Of Few Words

FAA tower ATC controller
[Credit: FAA]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A flight crew was inbound to the busy Teterboro Airport during a peak period.
  • Air Traffic Control (ATC) issued a highly abbreviated instruction amidst rapid-fire transmissions.
  • The copilot correctly understood the concise ATC clearance without reading back an unnecessarily expanded version.
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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.”

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