Beyond separating and sequencing aircraft, air traffic controllers are responsible for managing expectations. When I’m working traffic, I must ensure that what each pilot expects to be doing matches with what I expect him to be doing. Otherwise, it’s like trying to act out a play when all the actors are reading from different scripts.
That’s where the readback/hear back loop enters. By actively listening to pilot’s responses to clearances and catching incorrect readbacks, controllers prevent potential errors before they occur. One undetected bad readback is often the thing that turns a safe operation into a frightening situation.
