Captain Steeeve plays the ATC audio of an Emirates A380 arriving at JFK that was sent back from tower to approach over a speed call.
What the video covers
Written in our own words. It only describes what the video shows and says.Captain Steeeve, an airline captain who says he has been cleared for this JFK approach more times than he can count, plays the real ATC audio of an Emirates Airbus A380 arriving in New York after a long flight across the Atlantic. The crew are cleared for the approach and acknowledge it, but a short exchange about speed turns into a back and forth between the crew, JFK approach and Kennedy Tower. He asks viewers who they think was at fault.
Unable 180 knots and the switch to tower
Approach assigns 180 knots and tells the crew to contact the tower on 119.1. Another transmission steps on the end of that call, so the crew may not have heard all of it. The crew reply that they are unable the speed, and approach asks what speed they are able to do. Captain Steeeve says the A380 probably needed to fly slower because of its flap configuration. The crew do not say which speed they need and switch to the tower, as instructed, while approach calls them five times without an answer. In his view the crew should have stayed on the approach frequency to settle the speed first, because there were aircraft in front and behind them and 180 knots was assigned for spacing.
Sent back to approach
On the tower frequency the crew check in, say they were told to switch and report slowing to 160 knots. The tower sends them back to their previously assigned frequency, 132.4. Back on approach, the controller tells them they should have said what speed they needed instead of just switching, says he could accommodate a slower speed with the traffic behind, and hands them to Kennedy Tower on 119.1 again. When the crew ask whether to stay or change to the tower, approach says they can change now but cannot just switch frequency on their own. The crew answer with a short "tower, bye". Captain Steeeve sees blame on both sides: the crew left the speed question open, but they were told to switch to the tower.
Landing, taxi and a phone number
The A380 gets its landing clearance about a mile out and rolls out safely to the end of the runway. On the ground the crew are told to call their ramp about the gate, cross runway 31L, continue on Zulu and hold short of Golf. They pause before taxiing and ask the tower to confirm they are number one, because a Delta aircraft is close and heading for the same spot. Captain Steeeve calls that good communication. The tower confirms, adds that everyone is waiting for them, and passes a phone number because approach control wants a call. He notes the controller did not use the words possible pilot deviation, and expects that a review of the tapes would end in a draw.
