Turkish Airlines Pilot & Muscat ATC Argue: “I Don’t Follow Anyone’s Orders”

Typically when I post about air traffic control interactions, they’re in the United States, given that the audio is publicly accessible here, unlike in most other countries. So here’s a rare — but very interesting — interaction in another country.

Air traffic controller & pilot argue during Muscat approach

YouTube channel VASAviation has air traffic control audio and a visualization of an interaction that recently happened at Muscat International Airport (MCT), in Oman. It involves a Turkish Airlines Airbus A321neo that was on approach from Istanbul (IST), after a roughly 4hr30min flight.

I find this interaction to be noteworthy because of the extent to which the two sides argue, while remaining calm and professional. In particular, huge kudos to the pilot for remaining calm and consistent, despite pressure.

The disagreement starts when the Muscat approach controller tells the Turkish pilot to descend to 2,200 feet. The pilot responds that they can only descend to 3,600 feet, based on what their charts allow. From there it gets pretty heated:

Muscat approach: “Sir, descend to 2,200, an accurate to my minimum, you are under vectoring, sir.”
Turkish Airlines pilot: “Unable to accept vectors due to company procedures, Turkish 2YJ. We can accept only 3,600, over MSA.”
Muscat approach: “The MSA is 2,200, Turkish 2YJ. You follow my orders. Instructions are instructions, sir.”
Turkish Airlines pilot: “I am sorry, I don’t follow anyone’s orders, we can talk about it once we are landed. I am sorry, I can only accept 3,600, you may sequence accordingly. I am sorry again.”
Muscat approach: “Turkish 2YJ, we’re not playing with safety, sir.”
Turkish Airlines pilot: “Can you vector me to establish from 3,600? Turkish 2YJ.”
Muscat approach: “Expect vectors and speed 210 now, and fly hearing 090, you’ll be number two.”

From there communication continues as normal, though eventually the discussion about the altitude briefly resumes:

Muscat approach: “Turkish 2YJ, just to remind you, our safety is a major factor. If I give you an altitude, you must follow. Your company doesn’t know our rules, huh?”
Turkish Airlines pilot: “Yes, I will let my company to learn it, I am sorry for the inconvenience. I will do my best for them to get it also.”
Muscat approach: “It’s not really an inconvenience, 3,600 is GESOS altitude restriction, it’s not the minimum safe altitude. My minimum safe altitude is 2,200, I will not, I’m not playing with safety.”
Turkish Airlines pilot: “I know, but I don’t have your minimum safe altitude on my charts, that’s why I couldn’t descend, I will talk to my company to get your safe altitude in my aircraft.”

This was actually a very impressive interaction

For those who are lost as to what’s going on, let me try to explain it as simply as possible. While air traffic controllers give instructions, pilots also have their own charts that they follow in order to cross reference things. In this case, it would appear that the pilot’s minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) charts didn’t show 2,200 as an acceptable altitude.

Now, I’m not sure why that’s the case, exactly. But it’s understandable that if a company has a certain procedure, and if he couldn’t personally verify details about the minimum of 2,200 feet, then he’d reject the instructions.

The air traffic controller is certainly a bit on the aggressive side, and I also think he’s confused about his role. Air traffic controllers give instructions, and not orders — ultimately pilots are responsible for the safe operation of their own aircraft. In other words, if an air traffic controller tells you to cross a runway while there’s another plane on it, you don’t have to follow those instructions.

There’s an irony to the air traffic controller telling the pilot that he’s “not playing with safety,” while also pressuring the pilot to ignore his own company procedures and policies.

The Turkish Airlines pilot here deserves massive credit for his communication in this incident — he remains calm, he sticks to company policy (or what he perceives the policy to be), he proposes solutions, and he remains apologetic, so as not to escalate the situation. That’s exactly the type of person you want in the flight deck.

Bottom line

A Turkish Airlines pilot and Muscat air traffic controller got into a heated argument over the minimum safe altitude on approach. The controller gave the Turkish Airlines pilot instructions to descend to a certain altitude, but Turkish Airlines’ minimum safe altitude charts didn’t indicate that was acceptable (for whatever reason).

So despite the controller’s very stubborn insistence that orders had to be followed and that he wasn’t playing around with safety, the Turkish Airlines pilot respectfully informed the controller they were unable to follow those instructions, and proposed a reasonable alternative.

Kudos to the Turkish Airlines pilot for his professionalism. To the controller’s credit, at least this didn’t lead to some sort of vindictive JFK-style you-know-what measuring contest.

What do you make of this Turkish Airlines A321neo & MCT ATC interaction?