Air traffic controllers endure high-pressure responsibilities, often juggling numerous tasks simultaneously. Yet, at times, it appears they complicate matters for themselves with their demeanor. This leads us to a recent scenario at San Diego International Airport (SAN), where pilots exchanged sharp remarks with the air traffic controller… while I consider that unprofessional, I somewhat resonate with the sentiment, perhaps?
San Diego air traffic controller loses composure with pilots
VASAviation captured the air traffic control audio along with a visualization from a busy morning at San Diego Airport.
Understanding the context is vital — San Diego operates with a single runway and limited taxi space for aircraft, so during peak times, coordinating the movements of planes in and out of the runways becomes a challenging puzzle for air traffic controllers. This situation becomes even more complicated when aircraft land prior to their gate being ready, necessitating a place to hold.
This was a scenario where the ground controller clearly had numerous planes that needed to get moving but lacked the capacity to actually facilitate their departure. Airline pilots are always eager to be in motion, and they often feel the need to remind air traffic controllers of their intentions and seek updates on their clearance status.
After the air traffic controller provided taxi clearances to other pilots, a United pilot inquired about their taxi status, leading to the following exchange:
United pilot: “What about United 1069?”
Air traffic controller: “NO!”
United pilot: “Just curious for 1069, do we have a time to Chicago?”
Air traffic controller: “United 1069, I have one taxiway and planes scattered everywhere because some arrived too early without gates. Whether you wait here or are number 14 at the end, it makes no difference.”
United pilot: “All right, thank you.”
The situation escalated when a Southwest pilot also sought to check on their taxi clearance:
Southwest pilot: “Push for Southwest 3896, at 103.”
Air traffic controller: “No, there’s traffic inbound in the alley. I’ve been doing this for 18 years. I’ll call you back when it’s clear.”
Southwest pilot: “Yeah, he just entered the alley and is parking now, for Southwest 3896.”
Air traffic controller: “In about two minutes, ask your ground crew to look east and you’ll see the next company coming.”
Southwest pilot: “Sounds like you need to be replaced.”
Air traffic controller: “Sounds like you have an attitude as well, as I informed you about incoming traffic and you want to debate it.”
Unknown pilot: “Go back to LaGuardia!”
You can listen to the entire audio below.
I acknowledge the air traffic controller’s frustration, but…
I grasp the perspective of the air traffic controller. I presume he’s well-informed and understands precisely what he has planned for each aircraft to ensure a smooth operation. On a frequency where transmissions flow with little to no breaks, he doesn’t need pilots persistently checking in for clearance while he is already processing everyone as swiftly as possible.
Simultaneously, I’m uncertain about what he aims to achieve with his tone or the manner in which he addresses pilots. If one is already overwhelmed and stressed, taking time on the frequency to angrily justify actions doesn’t seem particularly beneficial either.
He could simply respond to these inquiries with “unable” or offer a brief explanation regarding the additional traffic. Admittedly, some pilot comments are trivial too, like questioning his competency or suggesting he should return to LaGuardia. That last comment is at least somewhat humorous and does evoke memories of a similar exchange from the previous year.
Bottom line
A San Diego ground controller became notably frustrated with impatient airline pilots. The airport experienced high traffic with limited ability to move planes, yet he clearly was not inclined to entertain pilots checking in on their clearance to depart.
However, instead of merely stating that their requests were unfeasible, he engaged in considerable lecturing, which was poorly received by the pilots.
What are your thoughts on this San Diego ATC exchange?