When ATC Screws Up

On December 16, 2016, shortly after takeoff at 0119 local time, an EVA Air Boeing 777-300ER apparently came well within 1000 vertical feet of mountainous terrain after departing the Los Angeles (Calif.) International Airport (KLAX). While a formal investigation reportedly is underway at the FAA and the carrier, unofficial transcripts and aircraft tracking data make it clear this event was a very near thing. The publicly available information depicts confusion and uncertainty in the 777s cockpit. It also suggests non-standard phraseology on ATCs part may have contributed to the event. The sidebar on the opposite page explores it a bit more, based on unoffocial sources.

Key Takeaways:

• The article details two incidents—an EVA Air 777 near-miss with terrain due to pilot misinterpretation of ATC instructions and non-standard phraseology, and the author's go-around due to ATC communication and coordination failures.
• Both events highlight how human error, miscommunication, and unmet expectations between pilots and controllers contribute to significant safety risks in the air traffic control system.
• It emphasizes that pilots must prioritize clear communication, use standard phraseology, perform comprehensive readbacks, ask for clarification, and maintain strong situational awareness to mitigate these inherent risks.

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