Federal Aviation Administration
SUBJECT: Full Transcript; Aircraft Accident: AAL1420; Little Rock, AR; June 2, 1999
DATE: June 21, 1999
FROM: Little Rock ATC Tower
TO: Aircraft Accident File, LIT-ATCT-253
This transcription covers the Little Rock ATCT Local Control One position for the time period from June 2, 1999, 0428:09 UTC to June 2, 1999, 0510:32 UTC.
| Agencies Making
Transmissions
Little Rock ATCT, Local Control One |
Abbreviations
LC1 |
I hereby certify that the following is a true transcription of the recorded conversations pertaining to the subject aircraft accident involving AAL1420:<signed>
David A. Vechik
Support Specialist
Little Rock ATCT
0432 0433 0434 0438 boundary wind is three two zero at two
five and the four right rvr is one thousand six hundred End of Transcript
0428:09 LC1
Centurion five six sierra
there has been uh severe thunderstorn warning issued for the uh uh
southern faulkner county upper around the uh vitonia and Conway area if
your familiar with that area
0426:24 N56S
uh roger uh that could you uh
repeat those points again five six sierra again
0428:28 LC1
uh let me pull it up here
again stand by just a second centurion five six sierra
0428:31 N56S
(unintelligible)
0428:52 LC1
centurion five six sierra
there's a severe thunderstorm warnings been issued for the southern part
of faulkner county and the northern part or pulaski county uh the weather
was let's see twelve miles south of conway or four miles west of morgan
moving east at uh three zero knots
0429
0429:11 N56S
roger roger five six sierra
0429:21 LC1
starcheck one ninety eight how
does it look out to the east there
0429:24 USC198
uh starcheck one ninety eight
I'm not I'm not uh I'm not showing much right now maybe (unintelligible)
light echoes
0429:31
alrighty thanks
0430
0430:22 LC1
starcheck one ninety eight
contact memphis center one three five point three we'll see you later
043C:25 USC198
starcheck one ninety eight one
three five point three we'll see ya
0431
0434:08 AAL1420
american uh fourteen twenty at
eleven three for ten thousand
0434:11 LC1
american fourteen twenty
little rock approach roger we have a thunderstorm just northwest of the
airport moving uh through the area now the wind is two eight zero at two
eight gust four four and uh i'll have new weather in just a moment i'm
sure
0434:24 AAL1420
yeah we can see the uh
lightning and uh you want us to repeat the winds again
0434:29 LC1
right now the wind current
wind is two niner zero at two eight gust four four
0434:44 LC1
american fourteen twenty
expect an ils runway two two left
0434:46 AAL1420
two two left we got that
fourteen twenty
0434:56 LC1
who called
0435
0435:02 ZME
helena
0435:03 LC1
yeah
0435:06 ZME
uh two zero five six five i'm
just curious about him
0435:12 LC1
he's (unintelligible)
0435:16 ZME
how's he plan to get radar
vectors when uh he's going to be non radar most of his trip
0435:18 LC1
uh i have no earthly idea
0435:19 ZME
i need him on a either he's
receiving jonesboro or need him on. non radar routing
0435:20 LC1
(unintelligible) i'll see what
he's receiving hang on
0435:24 LC1
centurion five six sierra
you're receiving jonesboro
0435:33 N56S
uh that's affirmative five six
sierra
0435:35 LC1
centurion five six sierra
roger proceed direct
0435:37 LC1
american fourteen twenty
descend at pilot's discretion maintain four thousand
0435:41 AAL1420
down to four thousand american
uh fourteen twenty
0435:45 LC1
hey helena little rock
0435:48 ZME
yeah
0435:49 LCl
he's said he's got it he's
going direct
0435:60 ZME
okay good that's all I need to
know
0435:51 LC1
kk
0435:56 LC1
centurion five six sierra
contact memphis center one three five point three good night
0436:00 56S
one three five point three
five six sierra good night
0437
0439:00 LC1
american fourteen twenty
descend end maintain three thousand
0439:04 AAL1420
out of four for three uh
american fourteen twenty
0439:07 LC!
american fourteen twenty uh
your equipment's a lot better than what I have how is the final for two
two left lookin'
0439:12 AAL1420
okay we can uh see the airport
from here we can barely make it out but uh we should be able to make two
two uh that storm is moving this way like your radar says it is but a
little farther off then you thought
0439:23 LC1
american fourteen twenty roger
would you just want to a shoot a visual approach
0439:28 AAL1420
uh at this point we can't
really make it out we're gonna stay with you as long as possible
0439:32 LC1
american fourteen twenty roger
and uh the winds kinda kicked around right now its three three zero at uh
one one
0439:42 AAL1420
okay well that's a little bit
better than it was
0439:43 LC1
right (unintelligible)
0439:45 LC1
and uh right now i have uh
wind shear alert the centerfield wind is three four zero at one zero north
boundary wind is three three zero at two five northwest boundary wind zero
one zero at one five
0440
0440:01 AAL1420
is there a possibility to get
runway four
0440:02 LC1
american fourteen twenty yes
sir we can do runway four if you would prefer that
0440:07 AAL1420
(unintelligible) we would
rather do the headwinds sir
0440:10 LC1
i'm sorry say again american
fourteen twenty
0440:12 AAL1420
yeah we're going to want the
headwind of course - runway four
0440:15 LC1
american uh fourteen twenty uh
turn right heading of uh two five zero vectors for the ils runway four
right final approach course
0440:25 AAL1420
okay a right turn to two five
zero uh the long way around
0440:30 LC1
uh yes sir you're a little
close to the airport
0440:33 AAL1420
two five zero that'll work
0441
0441:22 LC1
american fourteen twenty uh
maintain three thousand three hundred for now please
0441:25 AAL1420
three thousand three hundred
we just saw it thanks
0442
0442:26 LC1
american fourteen twenty it
appears we have uh a second part of the storm moving through the winds now
three four zero at one six gust three four
0442:34 AAL1420
roger that
0442.38 LC1
did you call
0442:39 ZME
this is pine bluff high at
memphis are you guys
0442:41 LC1
this little rock
0442:43 ZME
landin'
0442:48 LC1
this is little rock huh
0442:44 ZME
are you guys still being are
they still gettin' in there
0442:47 LC1
well we got a guy trying right
now uh i'll let you know here in just a minute
0442:50 ZME
are you landin' to the
southwest
0442:52 LC1
no we're landing right now
i've got it to the north hold on a second okay
0442:51 LC1
american :fourteen twenty did
you call me
0443:00 AAL1420
well we got the airport we're
going between clouds I think its right off my uh three o'clock low about
four miles
0443:06 LC1
american fourteen twentv
that's it do you want to shoot the visual approach or do you want to go
out for the ils
0443:10 AAL1420
we'll we'll shoot the visual
if we we can do it
0443:12 LC1
american fourteen twenty
cleared visual approach runway four right if you lose it need some help
let me know please
0443:16 AAL1420
i'll stay with you as long as
possible okay
0443:18 LC1
yeah that's fine i'm working
everything american fourteen twenty
0443:21 AAL1420
works for me
0443:22 LC1
all right yep
0443:25 ZME
we've got a couple of aircraft
comin' in there wantin' to know if they're going to be able to get in
0443:27 LC1
alright well i don't know
american uh he came in from the south there he's on a visual approach
right now but it's uh it's kind of rockin' and rollin' here
0443:35 ZME
alI right
0443:30 LC1
so you might wanna put it off
a little bit if they can its gots about uh because mv radar is not that
good by the weather you know but uh
0443:43 ZME
better than ours
0443:44 LC1
well then you don't yeah it
looks like it maybe out of here in I don't know thirty minutes or so it's
moving kinda quickly it looks like
0443:51 ZME
be there in thirty minutes or
leavin' in thirty minutes
0443:53 LC1
well hopefully cut of here by
thirty minutes don't hold me to that because I'm not sure
0443:54 ZME
i gotcha
0443:56 LC1
all righty
0443:58 ZME
(unintelligible)
0443:50 LC1
alright kk
0444:00 LC1
american fourteen twenty you
can monitor one one eight point seven runway four right cleared to land
the wind right now is three three zero at two one
0444:06 AAL1420
eighteen seven we'll monitor
american fourteen twenty thanks cleared to land runway four
0444:23 AAL1420
hold on and uh-and approach
american fourteen twenty
0444:30 LC1
arnerican fourteen twenty yes
sir
0444:31 AAL1420
there's a cloud between us end
the airport we just lost the field and i've uh on this vector here i have
the uh the basically last vector you gave us we're on a kind of a dog leg
it looks like
0444:39 LC1
american fourteen twenty you
can fly heading two two zero I'll take you out for the ils
0444:44 AAL1420
two two zero is fine
0444:45 LC1
all right and it will be just
probably just one turn on from downwind to final for the ils
0444:49 AAL1420
that's how it's going to have
to be thanks
0444:54 LC1
american fourteen twenty
descend and maintain two thousand three hundred
0444:57 AAL1420
two thousand three hundred
american fourteen twenty
0445
0448:46 AAL1420
and approach american fourteen
twenty we know you're doing you're best but we're getting pretty close to
this storm we'll keep it tight if we have to
0445:52 LC1
i'm sorry american fourteen
twenty uh turn right heading of uh two seven zero
0445:57 AAL1420
two seven zero american
fourteen twenty
0445:59 LC1
and uh when you, join the
final you're going to be right at the just a little bit outside the marker
if that's going to be okay for you
0446
0446:05 AAL1420
that's great with us
0446:06 LC1
american fourteen twenty roger
0446:26 LC1
american fourteen twenty turn
right heading three zero zero
0446:29 AAL1420
right turn three zero zero
american fourteen twenty
0446:39 LC1
american fourteen twenty is uh
three miles from the marker turn right heeding zero two zero maintain
thousand three hundred until established on the localizer cleared ils
runway four right approach
0446:47 AALl420
two two zero until established
american fourteen twenty cleared four left approach
0446:52 LC1
american fourteen twenty right
now we have uh heavy rain on the airport the current weather on the atis
is not correct i don't have new weather for you but the visibility is uh
less than a mile runway four right rvr is three thousand
0447
0447:04 AAL142O
roger that three thousand
american fourteen twenty this is four right correct
0447:08 LC1
american fourteen twenty
that's correct sir and runway four right cleared to land the wind three
five zero at three zero gust four five
0447:16 AAL1420
zero three zero at four five
american fourteen twenty
0447:53 LC1
wind shear alert center field
wind three five zero at three two gust four five north boundary wind three
one zero at two niner northeast boundary wind three two zero at three two
0448
0448:13 LC1
american fourteen twenty the
runway four right rvr now it one thousand six hundred
0448:25 AAL1420
american fourteen twenty we're
established inbound
0448:26 LC1
american fourteen twenty roger
runway four right cleared to land and the wind three four zero at three
one north wind north boundary wind is three zero zero at two six northeast
0448:42 AAL1420
american uh fourteen twenty
thanks
0449
0449:11 LC1
wind is three three zero at
two eight
0449:32 LC1
wind three three zero at two
five
0449:53 LC1
wind three two zero at two
three
0450
0450:54 LC1
american fourteen twenty
report clear of the runway please
0451
0451:16 LC1
amer american fourteen twenty
tower
0451:31 LC1
american fourteen twenty tower
0452:00 LC1
american fourteen twenty tower
0452:22 LC1
american fourteen twenty tower
0453
0453:22
american fourteen twenty tower
0454
0454:06 RB2
ground red ball two
0454:32 LC1
american fourteen twenty adams
tower
0464:51 RB1
adams ground red ball one
0454:52 LC1
red ball one ground
0454:54 RB1
uh we have permission to
proceed to four right
0454:58 LC1
red ball one affirmative and
uh proceed down romeo uh the last the time i saw him he was on runway four
right uh he be down a the end somewhere if you'd a go down there please
0455
0455:10 RB1
red ball one uh roger
0455:24 MOB5
adams ground mobile five
0455:26 LC1
mobile five adams ground
0455:28 MOB5
i'd like to accompany red ball
units please sir
0455:30 LC1
mobile five proceed as
requested
0455:32 MOB5
mobile five
0456
0457
0458
0459:00 RB1
red ball one to red ball - uh
you go rorneo the opposite way
0459:21 RB2
red ball one red bell two I
didn't hear you
0459:54 RB2
(unintelligible) red ball two
0459:58 RB2
adams ground red ball two
0500:00 LC1
red ball two ground
0500:01 RB1
uh we don't see anything down
on this end you need us to sweep the runway
0500:08 LC1
red ball two say again
0500:11 RB2
we didn't sight anything on we
didn't sight anything on the end of the runway you need us to sweep the
runway
0500:16
red ball uh two proceed on the
runway he was down at the other end sir he's he was at the departure end
of runway four right red ball units and mobile five proceed down runway
four right
0500:32 MOB5
mobile five roger
0500:55 RB2
red ball one what's the red
light on your side there
0501:08 LC1
and a red ball two I saw him
uh as he went past midfield there sir he's gonna be ah be down in that
area beyond that area
0502
0503
0503:16 RB1
adams ground we got him off
the end of the runway we have sight on fire - this is an alert three this
is an alert three
0503:23 LC1
red ball two roger
0503:31 LC1
red ball three is he in the
river
0503:40 *(RB1)
which way you goin' dave
0504
0504:07 *(RB1)
he's off the end of the runway
on the north end - burning
0505
0506
0507
0508
0508:24 *(RB1)
communications red ball three
0508:29 RB2
adams ground red ball two
0508:31 LC1
red ball two ground
0508:34 RB2
fuselage is uh is mostly
intact we got survivors walking around down here we need to get somebody
over to get the bus get down here and get these people many walking
wounded
0508:46 LC1
red ball two roger and you
need to get a hold of the uh city vehicle he can help you out with the
buses sir
0509
0509:18 LC1
mobile five tower
0509:23 MOB5
mobile five
0509:25 LC1
yes sir did you notify anybody
to get the buses and stuff out there
0509:28 MOB5
i'm fixin' to do that now i've
got a couple of the passengers here in here with me end i'm going to have
to get back and get a driver and get the bus down here
0509:35 LC1
mobile five roger is there
anything i can do from this end make a phone call down here to maintenance
or something
0509:39 MOB5
no I don't think you'll find
anybody there it was just right at shift change
0509:42 LC1
all right do you want me to
call nine one one maybe for assistance from there or what can we do
0509:47 MOB5
roger i'll get i'll let me get
back in touch with you in just a few minutes
0509:51 LC1
all right
0510
0510:03 RB3
adams ground this is red ball
three need to be sure the runway in closed down
0510:10 LC1
uh red ball three yes sir
we're uh keeping it closed
0510:14 RB3
uh adams ground did I copy
runway is closed
0510:20 LC1
red ball three i cannot
officially close the runway however i can assure that uh it will not be
used
0510:24 RB3
okay
0510:30 MOB5
adarns ground this is mobile
five the runway is officially closed i'm closing it
0510:32 LC1
mobile five I understand
runway uh four right is closed
* This portion of
the rerecording is not entirely clear, but this represents the best
interpretation possible under the circumstances.