Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:08 pm
The reported TC Radio Transcript Kathmandu-Tower with BS211, and my comments (in parenthesis) regarding same. This overall communication stream IMO was one of the most confusing and frightening recording in many years. God comfort the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this accident:
TC Radio Transcript Kathmandu-Tower:
(Note: this transcript is unofficial and can contain inadequate data)
BS211(female voice): „Good day, BanglaStar211 final runway 02.”
KTM-Tower: „BanglaStar211, tower. Wind 230 degrees eight knots, tailwind component seven knots, continue approach.“
BS211(female voice): „Continue approach BanglaStar 211.“ (BS211 Did not request a different Rwy due to 7 knot tailwind, Rwy 02 was obviously acceptable to them)
..
KTM-Tower: „BanglaStar211, wind 220 degrees seven knots, tailwind component six knots, runway 02 you’re cleared to land.“
BS211(female voice): „Cleared to land, BanglaStar 211.“ (Confirmation from BS211 that Rwy 02 landing was fine)
..
KTM-Tower: „BanglaStar211, tower?“
BS211(female voice): „Go ahead, sir.“
BS211(male voice): „Go ahead, mam‘.“
KTM-Tower: „BanglaStar211, you were given a landing clearance to runway 02.“ (BS211 must have changed flight path for some reason, triggering ATC to note/reinforce that they were given a landing clearance for Rwy 02).
BS211(male voice): „Affirmative, mam.“ (After ATC noting Rwy 02 clearance, BS211 confirmed once again and accepted Rwy 02, so was still their intention. What was going on with their flight path?)
KTM-Tower: „You are going towards runway 20.“ (BS211, after twice accepting a clearance to land Rwy 02 they are now heading towards Rwy 20. Why did BS211 break off the Rwy 02 final approach course and head for Rwy 20? There were no WX issues, no noted equipment issues, seemingly calm interchange with ATC, and yet they are heading for an unassigned runway, and not the one they twice accepted landing on).
BS211(male voice): „..(garbled transmission)..to runway 02.“ (Did BS211 (“to runway 02”) mean that they were correcting ATC and they thought they were actually heading for Rwy 2?)
KTM-Tower (different voice): „…211, runway 20, cleared to land.“ (ATC now clears BS211 to land Rwy 20, maybe out of complete frustration)
BS211(male voice): „..cleared to land..(unintelligible).“ (by implication BS211 accepted the clearance to now land Rwy 20)
..
KTM-Tower (different voice): „BanglaStar211, Kathmandu Tower“
BS211(male voice): „Go ahead“
KTM-Tower (different voice): „BanglaStar211, request your intentions.“ (ATC just cleared BS211 to land Rwy 20, and now they are requesting intentions? IMO they probably should have communicated this earlier in the evolution of this BS211 communication.)
BS211(male voice): „..(unintelligible)..“
KTM-Tower (different voice): “ BanglaStar211, that would be VFR.“
BS211(male voice): „Affirmative“
KTM-Tower (different voice): “ 211 join a ri…ehm..right downwind to runway 20.“
BS211(male voice): „Copied.“
KTM-Tower (different voice): “ …right downwind runway 02..“ (Beyond comprehension, after ATC just gave them the clearance to land Rwy 20 via right downwind VFR, now ATC tells them “right downwind for Rwy 02, and BS211 accepts, why?)
..
Tower clears another aircraft (Buddha282) to land on runway 02.
..
KTM-Tower: „And BanglaStar 211, traffic at final eh..runway 02 at two miles, report sighting.“
BS211(male voice): „Copied, Sir. We’ll be at (..) runway 02.“
KTM-Tower: „Confirm you’re tracking towards runway 20 ?“ (ATC just gave them the clearance for right downwind to land Rwy 02, now ATC asks for confirmation that they are tracking towards Rwy 20. Assume because BS211 was now actually tracking towards Rwy 20 for some reason, otherwise a very strange communication by ATC)
BS211(male voice): „Affirmative.“ (BS211 affirms that they really are tracking towards Rwy 20 after they just accepted a clearance for R downwind to Rwy 02?)
KTM-Tower: „Right..left, right downwind runway 02, I say again Bangla 212 traffic is on final runway 02 landing on runway 02.“ (ATC seemingly asserts that BS211 is to now land Rwy02 even though BS211 just affirmed they are tracking to Rwy 20)
BS211(male voice): „Copied Sir“
..
Tower confirmed landing clearance for the other aircraft (Buddha282) to land on runway 02.
..
KTM-Tower: „211 I say it again, do not proceed towards runway 20. Cleared to hold at your current position.“
BS211(male voice): „Okay, we’re making an orbit to the right, copied ?“
BS211(male voice): „Tower, 211, making a right holding, right holding for runway 02.“
KTM-Tower: „Okay that’s good but do not land. Traffic is on short final runway 02.“
BS211(male voice): „We have that, Sir copied. (unintelligible) we’re cleared to land“ (BS211 just defied an acceptance of R holding for Rwy 02 only, and now say they are cleared to land Rwy 02)
..
KTM-Tower: „..BanglaStar211, runway..eh..cleared to land. Runway is vacated, either runway 02 or 20 ?“ (ATC seemingly throws their hands in the air and notes essentially land at either Rwy as Rwy 02/20 is vacated)
BS211(male voice): „Yes Sir, we like to land on 20.“ (BS211 requests to land Rwy 20 now)
KTM-Tower: „Okay runway 20, cleared to land. Wind is 270 degrees, six knots.“ (ATC clears BS211 to land Rwy 20)
BS211(male voice): „260 copied, cleared to land.“
KTM-Tower: „BanglaStar211, confirm you have the runway in sight?“
BS211(male voice): „Negative, Sir.“
KTM-Tower: „BanglaStar211, turn right and ah..you have the runway, confirm you have the runway not in sight, yet ?“
BS211(male voice): „Affirmative, we have (..) runway in sight. Requesting clear to land, Sir.“ (BS211 affirms they have Rwy 20 in sight, the one ATC cleared them to land on)
KTM-Tower: „And BanglaStar211, cleared to land.“ (i.e. Cleared to land Rwy 20 per last instruction)
BS211(male voice): „Cleared to land runway 02, BanglaStar212.“ (BS211 accepted the clearance to land Rwy 20, says they had Rwy 20 in sight, and now note they are cleared to land Rwy 02, and now misspeak their flight number as 212 instead of 211 as well)
KTM-Tower: „Roger, runway 02, cleared to land, BanglaStar211.“ (and ATC strangely accepts BS211 to land Rwy 02 when they just cleared them to land Rwy 20)
..
BS211(male voice): „..sir, are we cleared to land ?“ (Beyond comprehension BS211 just accepted a very confusing clearance to land Rwy 02 and now they are asking if they are cleared to land Rwy 02)
KTM-Tower: „BanglaStar211, I say again..turn… (yelling in background).“ (What was their flight path and altitude and specific location when ATC issued this emergency order to turn? Recall BS211 said they had Rwy 20 in sight to land on).
..
(end of BS211 transmissions)