"ATC error led to close call at O'Hare after Biden landed"

[Marty Becker]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-ohare-controller-error-0519-20110518,0,1376208.story

I'm trying to figure out if VP Biden's aircraft was not involved, then why is it part of the story?    The media is trying to find any little thread of information to glorify a story.

[alltheway]

I'm trying to figure out if VP Biden's aircraft was not involved, then why is it part of the story?  

It's (for me) not so difficult to understand, as it is written in the story itself.

The newby controller might have been distracted because of a helicopter hovering overhead an airplane (Bidens airplane) and therefore didn't paid attention to the landing airplane.
That is what the FAA is looking into...

[VampyreGTX]

Tried pulling up the audio, but couldn't find the exact instance. I 'THINK' I had found it, but I never had the go around call nor did I hear the expletive's the departing pilot through. There was a point where you heard one controller issuing commands to 'Huntsman 1' (lead secret service chopper) and another controller suddenly yell  something unintelligible in the background. The first controller then sounded a bit flustered.  Other then that, nothing else really stands out so I'm not taking the time to edit and compress it down.  

If you want, it's the 5/16/2011 1430-1500Z KORD Tower recording.

You rarely hear the male controller that made the error by clearing the takeoff on 32L since the scanner is almost constantly on the female controller handling one of the other tower frequencies. 

[alltheway]

There is a real issue here, when the motorcade started to roll, that's where the female controller told the airplane (Skywest 6958 - http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SKW6958/history/20110516/1410Z/KMKG/KORD ) to go to 4000 feet...
She was distracted by that motorcade...

In the clip I have some communication before the incident, to make you aware how busy they where...


Then to @Dave... plz. move this topic to the audio forum.. tnx

[VampyreGTX]

Interesting, the FAA spokesman's comments quoted in media refer to the controller as a male, using terms like 'he cleared the Skywest for takeoff', etc. Which is why I thought it wasn't the female controller that made the error.


Missed the 'missed approach' notification to Huntsman as well, nice catch!

[ogogog]

south local controller had the deal NOT the north local controller.ORD was on plan X trip, south local controls 4R,10,32L. north local controls 4L,9R,32R.

[lrjtcaptain]

You guys have no clue what you are talking about.

This configuration is called Plan X

South Local Freq 120.75 lands rwy 04R and 10
North Local Freq 126.9 lands 09R departs 04L/09R/32R <---This is what you have the audio of
3rd Local freq 132.7 departs 32LT10 <---where the expletive was.  For the records, there was no error

[mhawke]

  For the records, there was no error

Sounds like you have inside information, care to share?  To me it sure sounds like there was an error if a departing plane on 32L and arrival on 9R crossed paths that close (within a few hundred feet).

A million what if's could happen here that put both planes in the same spot at the same time.

[lrjtcaptain]

my insider information is this
I WAS THERE.  I am an FPL at O'hare.  I was on inbound ground at the time.

The FAA isn't calling this an error.   

Was IFR seperation lost?  NOPE!  Visual.
Was runway seperation lost?  Nope!  Different runways
Did the planes overfly?  NOPE!

They were close, yes but not any closer then simultaneous approaches into SFO on the 28's that we see all the time.