A TAP Air Portugal A330-900neo flew the wrong departure out of LAX, then turned right when told to turn left. The controller twice asked if they were okay.
good on you, Ben, for posting departure plates. Some people will learn how complex it is to fly instrument procedures but you do a good job of figuring out what went wrong.
Loved this analysis, Ben! Including the SID departure charts to explain route sequencing makes technical navigation super easy to understand.
Oof. I would not TAP that…
The first reaction would be a possible language barrier issue..
That isn't valid however as international flight rules require all flight crew to be proficient in English.
Next, issue one may think of is a pronunciation and understanding error.
That doesn't apply because the pilot monitoring read back all instructions.
Yes I agree, English is the language of commerce and traffic control around the world and how does left and right sound confusing?
It's always good to have a basic understand in languages around the world for basic instructions to avoid or ask for help if not understanding people in the country your visiting.
Even this ancient pilot had to fly a course directed by the controller.
Bar those so-called pilots from flying anywhere other competent controllers work
They obviously did not brief the departure prior to departure. Opps. Yeah coming off the 24s and turning left could be a large problem Yikes.
I don't think the proposed runway SID mix up is the whole - if any, of the story. Reading those charts regardless of which initial waypoint they're heading too, they should maintain runway heading until 3000ft.
This plane was well into the turn when they contacted departure reporting 1500 for 2000.
Seems like they bypassed the initial waypoint altogether and were just heading straight to ORCKA.
The departure directs them to fly runway heading until 640’, then to the first fix, not 3000’ and then the fix.
Sean Duffy should investigate how many minorities worked ATC that night. Probably some gays too.
Didn't somebody else (Spirit ??) make a similar mistake about a year ago ? I don't know if it was the same SID but was a westbound takeoff from LAX.
It's been 40 years since I've flown instrument, but that's an easy SID. For the (runway) 25's it's fly runway heading (251) until told to turn south. Most SIDs (and STARs, which are the arrival routes) have the turns at specific locations and/or altitudes. This SID is literally "wait until told to turn south" (departing the 24's there is a slight left turn from 251 to a heading of 236 as you pass the 1st fix, then wait for the turn south to be called).
Both Spirit & TAP seem to have started a southerly turn as soon as they passed the first fix. I wonder how an "unspecific turning point" displays on the FMS screen ? Not knowing where the turn will be, does it show as being at the 1st fix ? Pilots going 100% from that display without briefing the departure by looking at the actual charts (required before takeoff) are getting fooled ??
Oh TAP, this is very disappointing.
Just because they flew that departure (OR that way before)...does mean you're just like "oh ya, its that way - take a right". I'm sure many foreign pilots know the departure sequences out of LAX when they have been doing it for years. Muscle memory...but still!
Just wow!
These pilots need more than a good talking-to.
The TAP pilots were distracted studying their German language modules on their tablets.
Ban both pilots for US Airspace.
Case closed.
ATC should have ordered these pilots to return to LAX for drug and alcohol screening tests!