OBJECTIVES:
- explain what a readback means
- items that must be read back
- pilot and ATC responsibilities
Read Back procedure
Read-back was introduced in the interests of flight safety because misunderstanding ATC clearances and instructions may lead to serious consequences. Therefore, pilots have to repeat particular information, clearances and instructions they receive from ATC. This is called a readback.
The read-back procedure ensures that the clearance has been received correctly. It also serves as a check that the CORRECT AIRCRAFT, and only that aircraft, will comply with the clearance it was meant for.
The following shall ALWAYS be read back:
- enter
- land on
- take off from
- hold short of
- cross, and
- backtrack on any runway
- runway-in-use,
- altimeter settings,
- squawk codes,
- level instructions,
- heading and speed instructions, and
- transition levels, whether issued by the controller or contained in ATIS broadcasts.
ALL clearances or instructions, including conditional clearances, shall be read back or acknowledged in a manner to clearly indicate that they have been understood and will be executed.
Examples:
ATC: FASTJET 345, CLEARED TO COOL, VIA UN811, FL 240, EXIT 3 NOVEMBER DEPARTURE, SQUAWK 5501
Pilot: CLEARED TO COOL, VIA UN811, FL 240, EXIT 3 NOVEMBER DEPARTURE, SQUAWK 5501, FASTJET 345
ATC: N745RE, WHEN AIRBORNE TURN LEFT, LEAVE CONTROL ZONE VIA NOVEMBER
Pilot: LEFT TURN VIA NOVEMBER, N745RE
Manual of Radio telephony (R/T): an aircraft has to terminate the read-back by its call sign.
Examples:
ATC: GBERR, CROSS L655 AT PINTR, FL 90
Pilot: CROSS L655 AT PINTR, FL 90, GBERR
ATC: OOGOO, HOLD POSITION
Pilot: HOLDING, OOGOO
ATC: LXFLY, CONTACT GREENFIELD GROUND 118.050
Pilot: CONTACT GREENFIELD GROUND 118.050, LXFLY
ATC: FASTJET 345, SQUAWK 7155
Pilot: SQUAWK 7155, FASTJET 34
The controller shall listen to the read-back to make sure that the clearance or instruction has been correctly acknowledged by the pilot and shall take immediate action to correct any mistakes revealed by the read-back.
If the read-back of a clearance or instruction is incorrect, the controller shall transmit the word "NEGATIVE" followed by the correct version.
Example:
ATC: GBERR, CROSS L655 AT PINTR FL 90
Pilot: CROSS L655 AT PINTR FL 190, GBERR
ATC: GBERR, NEGATIVE, CROSS L655 AT PINTR FL 90
Pilot: CROSS L655 AT PINTR FL 90, GBERR
Pilot and ATC responsibilities
A pilot SHALL ALWAYS do what he has read back to the controller.
A controller SHALL ALWAYS listen to a readback and correct it if it is wrong.
This means that if a pilot does something wrong because there were mistakes in the readback of his clearance or instruction, it is the controller who will receive the blame! This is also why in real-life all communications between pilots and ATC are recorded and stored for some time, should they be needed in case of legal investigation!