[Grahame Hutchison]

Here is a more complete, and slightly corrected transcript, of the transmissions between ATC and Etihad 451. ATC Departures East appear to have given Jetstar 826 (SODOPS off Runway 16L) a heading of 100 at the same time as Etihad had just changed to the Departures frequency. It is interesting that Etihad would not have asked for confirmation of that instruction, as left heading 100 would have taken them back over the centreline of the Runway they departed from, which would have been a completely unusual departure track that close to the airport (and Etihad were departing to the west). Also unusual is that the instruction to JQ826 would have been on the Departures North and East frequency of 123.0, and not 129.7 that Etihad should have been on.

It's a little difficult to create a full transcript, as the LiveATC recording has multiple frequencies on the same feed, and you do not always hear every transmission from all frequencies.


1400:56 ET451: Sydney Clearance, good afternoon, Etihad 451

1401:00 ATC Clearance Delivery: Etihad451 Delivery

1404:04 ET451: Etihad 451 on Stand 61 copy information Papa QNH 1021 request clearance to Abu Dhabi, Triple 7 300, request Runway 34L for departure and flight level 280

1401:19: ATC Clearance Delivery: Etihad 451 roger, Cleared Abu Dhabi via KADOM then flight planned route, maintain 5000, Runway 34L KADOM 1 departure Squak 1535, departures 129.7

1401:34 ET451: “Etihad 451 reads back the clearance correctly”.

1401:45 ATC Clearance Delivery: Etihad 451 thank you, 126.5 when you are ready for push back, G’day.

1401:51 ET451: 126.5 for push and start, Etihad 451 G’day.

1424:30 ATC Tower: Etihad 451 line up Runway 34L.

1424:33 ET451: Line up Runway 34L, Etihad 451.

1427:02 ATC Tower: Etihad 451 contact departures, have a good afternoon.

1427:05 ET451: Departures, Etihad 451, good afternoon.

1427:28 JQ826: ... 00 Jetstar 826 (“Part transmission, presumably the Departures East instruction for JQ826 to turn left heading 100, which Etihad may have thought was for them”).

1428:24 ATC Tower: Etihad 451 you still on frequency ("I think this is where the ATC Tower Controller realises Etihad 451 are not tracking as expected, and check to see if they are still on his frequency").

1428:27 ATC Departures West: Etihad 451 departures, turn right heading 310

1428:31 EY451: Heading 310, Etihad 451

1428:33 ATC Tower: Etihad 451

1429:50 EY451: Say again Etihad 451

1429:52 ATC: Etihad 451, that manoeuvre you did on departure, completely unexpected, are operations normal ?

1429:58 EY451: Etihad 451, We received an instruction to turn left heading 100, and there was a read back.

1430:50 ATC Departures West: Etihad 451, the heading 100 was given to another aircraft on departure off 16L, so if you had been transmitting
at the same time as me, you might have heard the last transmission of that aircraft, or if you had over transmitted
me, so that might be the issue if you heard a heading of 100 somewhere.

1431:11 EY451: Etihad 451, copy that, ok I suppose we heard someone ........ ("Can't make out the last words")

1431:24 ATC Departures West: Etihad 451, turn left, track to KADOM

1431:28 EY451: Direct KADOM, Etihad 451


Here is Ethiad 451s departure track yesterday afternoon, created from the data from two of my Sydney ADS-B ground Stations. A heading of 100 would have taken them
roughly back over the Runway 34L threshold.