Stop, stop stop!' - Air traffic controller averts disaster

[Hvr]

An ATC at Chicago's Midway airport prevented a collision when he told a plane to stop, preventing it from crossing into the path of a plane about to take off.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/28492350/stop-stop-stop-air-traffic-controller-averts-disaster/
Just because you’re flying a plane doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay attention to give way signs.

A quick thinking air traffic controller was the only thing standing between a potentially devastating collision between two passenger jets at a US airport earlier this week.

Southwest flight 3828 had been cleared for takeoff at Chicago’s Midway Airport on at about 7.40pm local time on Tuesday when another plane with a similar call sign, Delta Air Lines 1328, also began rolling down an intersecting runway.

 

[robd]

Scary stuff.

 

[TomVexille]

Scary stuff.

Very. ATC more than earned their wage.

That's an airport that I've flown in and out of countless times so this feels close to home for me.

 

[blackcat20]

I can certainly understand the confusion given the similar flight numbers.

 

[N860CR]

The system worked. The "stop" call is a standard phrase used for this situation. Unfortunate, but it happens and was dealt with appropriately. All in all a fairly common event (I guess it was a quiet news day)

 

[RooFlyer]

That's interesting N860CR. How common would you say are events where ATC has to step in to avoid an at-speed collision on a runway, say in the US or Europe (or indeed, Australia). Not doubting you, just a little surprised that it might be described as 'fairly common'.

 

[Himeno]

I'm not quite sure how "SOUTHWEST 3828" and "DELTA 1328" are similar enough to be confusing.

 

[robd]

That's interesting N860CR. How common would you say are events where ATC has to step in to avoid an at-speed collision on a runway, say in the US or Europe (or indeed, Australia). Not doubting you, just a little surprised that it might be described as 'fairly common'.

Really? Even more scary knowing this.

 

[N860CR]

That's interesting N860CR. How common would you say are events where ATC has to step in to avoid an at-speed collision on a runway, say in the US or Europe (or indeed, Australia). Not doubting you, just a little surprised that it might be described as 'fairly common'.

In Sydney I can recall hearing "Stop" maybe 3 times in the last few months. Certainly heard one in Brisbane this week when a crew read back an instruction for a company aircraft with a very similar call sign and commenced lining up with an aeroplane on final.

The point I'm more stressing is that, in at least one of the articles I read, the "journalist" made out that the controller had, in a moment of amazing bravery, announced "Stop Stop Stop" and saved the day. It's a standard call that was made within standard operating procedures. I really doubt this was a high speed event, more that the controller observed (either visually or using their fairly sophisticated equipment) that one plane had started to roll when it shouldn't be.

Similar calls signs are painful. A few of the better controllers in Australia will provide a warning on first contact that there's a similar call sign on frequency to at least get your brain into gear

 

[N860CR]

I'm not quite sure how "SOUTHWEST 3828" and "DELTA 1328" are similar enough to be confusing.

American controllers have an annoying tendency to speak very very quickly and run their words together. I can see the last part of "13" and "38" sounding very similar and the "28" leading one crew to believe they were being spoken to. While incorrect, it's not uncommon to hear the call sign dropped from a transmission which I believe has lead to a little complacency.

 

[TomVexille]

Similar calls signs are painful. A few of the better controllers in Australia will provide a warning on first contact that there's a similar call sign on frequency to at least get your brain into gear

According to the article the controller did warn them of similar call signs

 

[RooFlyer]

American controllers have an annoying tendency to speak very very quickly and run their words together. I can see the last part of "13" and "38" sounding very similar and the "28" leading one crew to believe they were being spoken to. While incorrect, it's not uncommon to hear the call sign dropped from a transmission which I believe has lead to a little complacency.

Thanks for the various replies. I remember the issue of dropping call signs being discussed on the "Ask the Pilot" thread a while back, maybe when another incident happened like the one being discussed here.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I fly where I also listen in, a couple of times a month (rotary wing). I regularly think to myself "boy I'm glad I don't have to understand what was just said"......especially when heavily accented English is used! Who's to say either pilot or in fact ATC spoke the "Queens English"?