LONDON- The Flag carrier of the UK, British Airways (BA), flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to San Francisco (SFO) landed safely on June 29, 2025, but pilots were scolded by an angry SFO ATC during taxing despite the controller’s mistake.
The Boeing 777 crew requested clarification after receiving conflicting taxi instructions, leading to an unprofessional and sharp response from the SFO ground controller. The situation has since drawn criticism from aviation professionals and industry observers in a video shared by VASAviation.
Photo: Cado PhotoBritish Airways Pilots Scolded by SFO ATC
Upon landing at San Francisco (SFO), the British Airways (BA) pilots were instructed to taxi to the international terminal.
After crossing Runway 28L, they expected to turn left onto Taxiway B or A, as is typical for arrivals heading to the terminal.
However, the ATC controller instead issued a “right turn Bravo” command with unclear context, just as the pilots were transitioning radio frequencies.
Due to the timing of the switch and incomplete transmission, the crew missed the initial part of the instruction. When they queried the controller for clarification and confirmed they were parking at the international terminal, the controller responded with frustration:
“That’s why I told you to turn RIGHT onto Bravo! Join A to the ramp and listen better next time!”
The pilots halted their taxi at the intersection of Taxiways E and B to avoid a potential conflict with a United Airlines (UA) Boeing 777 approaching from the east on Taxiway F. According to post-event pilot comments, had they followed the partial instruction without clarification, a near-collision could have occurred.
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You can hear the complete conversation here:
Reactions from the Aviation Community and Industry Pilots
Multiple pilots and professionals in the aviation community condemned the controller’s tone and the misleading instructions. Comments surfaced across social media and YouTube, describing the ATC’s actions as:
- “Unprofessional and hostile,”
- “A safety hazard due to miscommunication,”
- “Indicative of poor training and CRM standards at the tower.”
Several pointed out that if pilots had spoken in such a dismissive tone during cockpit communication, it would have prompted disciplinary reviews or retraining under Crew Resource Management (CRM) policies.
One pilot noted, “This wasn’t just a lapse in communication—it was dangerously close to a runway incursion. Situations like this are why procedures and professional decorum matter at busy international hubs.”
The same controller reportedly issued conflicting instructions to a Southwest Airlines (WN) aircraft shortly after the British Airways incident, further fueling concerns.
ALSO READ: JetBlue A321 Pilot Yells at New York ATC Amid Two Go-Arounds
Photo: By BriYYZ from Toronto, Canada – British Airways Boeing 777-300ER G-BTBA, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25905962Operational and Regulatory Implications
The incident highlights broader concerns about ATC-pilot interactions, especially in complex airport environments like San Francisco (SFO). Aviation safety analysts are calling for a review of ATC recordings and procedures, emphasizing the importance of:
- Clear, complete instructions during frequency handoffs,
- Professional communication tone under stress,
- Systematic escalation and reporting procedures for safety concerns.
Photo: By BriYYZ from Toronto, Canada – ANA Boeing 777-200 JA713A (1), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28627517Similar Incident
A tense verbal exchange between an All Nippon Airways (NH) pilot and air traffic control at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) on March 2, 2025.
The ANA (NH) flight, operating a Boeing 777 out of New York (JFK), encountered confusion during taxi clearance when the controller used a phrase not recognized in International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
The incident began when the All Nippon Airways pilot requested taxi clearance from JFK ATC prior to departure. The controller replied, “You’re on request,” a phrase that does not exist in official ICAO communications guidance. This ambiguity sparked confusion in the cockpit, prompting the pilot to seek clarification multiple times.
Rather than using standard terminology such as “Standby for taxi” or “Hold position,” the controller repeated the unclear phrase and grew visibly impatient with the pilot’s responses. The interaction, captured by ATC audio monitors, quickly escalated due to the controller’s tone and unwillingness to clarify.
This lack of adherence to globally recognized ICAO phraseology hindered the ANA crew’s ability to interpret instructions accurately, a risk factor at a busy hub like JFK, where many international pilots may not be native English speakers.
Despite multiple efforts from the pilot to clarify, the controller did not adjust his language or offer standard guidance, choosing instead to criticize the pilot’s familiarity with local procedures.
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