I wasn’t out watching planes, but I got an email alert that the 747 diverted to LAX. It looked like a missed approach, but they diverted instead of going around. Once the LiveATC.net archive was posted, I listened. And I have transcribed it. (Note that getting accurate timestamps on LiveATC recordings is annoying, so there are none.) Here’s what happened in the 16 minutes after the FedEx plane was cleared to land.

Lindbergh Tower: FedEx nine-oh-six heavy, Lindbergh Tower, you’re number two. You’re going to be following a Cirrus that’s current crosswind is descending. Wind three four zero at eight. Runway two-seven cleared to land.

FDX906: Cleared to land runway two-seven, behind a Cirrus. FedEx nine-oh-six heavy.

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, you can turn in tight now. There’s a MD… uh… eleven on a seven mile final. Wind three five zero five. Runway two-seven cleared to land.

N469CD: Cleared to land two-seven.

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, landing clearance is canceled. You can just make tight right three-sixties there until I can get a hole for you.

N469CD: OK. Nine-Charlie-Delta.

Lindbergh Tower: FedEx nine-oh-six heavy, you’re number one now.

FDX906: Thank you.

Lindbergh Tower: American eleven-sixty, contact SoCal departure.

AAL1160: American eleven-sixty, departure, good day.

N714TA: [unintelligible] VFR [unintelligible]

Lindbergh Tower: seven-one-four-Tango-Alpha, Lindbergh Tower, say again intentions?

N714TA: [unintelligible]

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, you can turn northbound now.

N469CD: Northbound.

Lindbergh Tower: Thank you.

Lindbergh Tower: Bravo Four-Tango-Alpha, I didn’t understand that. Can you say again intensions.

N714TA: [unintelligible]

Lindbergh Tower: [unintelligible], roger.

Lindbergh Tower: Cessna four-Tango-Alpha, Lindbergh Tower, cleared to enter class Bravo airspace. May right traffic runway two-seven. Report being in the pattern. Descend to pattern altitude, your discretion.

N714TA: OK, right [unintelligible] over to two-seven and [unintelligible]

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, make that left three-sixties, now, tight left three-sixties. And I think I’ve got a hole for you.

N469CD: OK, left three-sixties, nine-Charlie-Delta.

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, traffic to follow is on a five mile final, descending out of two thousand three hundred a heavy Boeing seven-forty-seven, report in effect.

N469CD: [unintelligible]

N469CD: I’ve got the traffic on [unintelligible]. Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta.

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, roger.

Lindbergh Tower: Speedbird four-four-November heavy, Lindbergh Tower.

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, you can follow that traffic. Caution wake turbulence. Winds three three zero at eight. There is a Boeing seven-thirty-seven about a one-two mile final. Runway two-seven cleared to land. Number two.

N469CD: Cleared to land, Charlie-Delta.

Lindbergh Tower: FedEx nine-oh-six heavy, do you need assistance?

FDX906: Uh, apparently we have, uh, blown a tire. Standby. FedEx nine-oh-six heavy.

Lindbergh Tower: Speedbird four-four-November heavy, tower.

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta turn northbound, northbound now.

N469CD: Southbound?

Lindbergh Tower: Cessna Four-Tango-Alpha, remain outside of Bravo airspace, now.

N714TA: OK, remain outside of airfield airspace now.

Lindbergh Tower: Speedbird four-four-November heavy, tower.

DAL2546: Tower, Delta twenty-five-forty-six is ten and a half [unintelligible] for runway two-seven

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta northbound, northbound now, please.

N469CD: Northbound [unintelligible]

Lindbergh Tower: Speedbird four-four-November heavy, tower.

BAW44N: Tower, Speedbird four-four-November heavy is under three miles.

Lindbergh Tower: Speedbird four-four-November heavy, go around! Go around. Fly the published missed.

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, I’m not going to get any a while. Montgomery might be the best bet for you.

N469CD: OK. Now [unintelligible] how do I get over there?

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, you’re not going to get in for a while. There’s a disabled aircraft on the runway. Uh, Montgomery is about a, about, zero one zero heading for about five miles.

N469CD: OK, I got it in sight. Charlie Delta.

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus nine-Charlie-Delta, roger, you’re leaving San Diego class Bravo airspace… there. You can contact Montgomery tower, one-one-niner point two.

[No idea, but I think a truck on the ground]: [unintelligible]

[Probably another truck?]: [unintelligible] out of bravo four, I’d like a runway inspection.

N469CD: Montgomery tower, Cirrus four-six-nine-charlie-delta is about, uh, six to the south inbound. [unintelligible]

Lindbergh Tower: Zebra two, Lindbergh Tower, proceed on two-seven.

Zebra 2: Zebra two, proceed on two-seven.

Lindbergh Tower: nine-Charlie-Delta, still on tower. One-one-niner point two is Montgomery.

Lindbergh Tower: Cessna four-tango-alpha, same to you. I’m not going to be able to get you in for about… for a long time. Montgomery is your best bet.

N714TA: OK [unintelligible] Montgomery [unintelligible]

Lindbergh Tower: Thank you.

DAL2546: Tower, Delta twenty-five-forty-six on the visual for runway two-seven.

Lindbergh Tower: Delta twenty-five-forty-six, Lindbergh Tower, go around, fly heading two seven five. Maintain two thousand five hundred.

DAL2546: OK, go around heading two seven five and two thousand five hundred. Delta twenty-five-forty-six.

Lindbergh Tower: Speedbird four-four-November heavy, contact SoCal departure, one two five point one five.

BAW44N: One two five one five, Speedbird four-four-November heavy.

Lindbergh Tower: Cirrus, correction, Cessna four-tango-alpha, outside San Diego class Bravo airspace radar services terminated. Contact Montgomery tower, one one niner point two.

Zebra 2: Tower, Zebra two, I am clear of the runway and Zebra Three is still on the runway. I will be at Bravo ten [unintelligible]

Lindbergh Tower: Zebra two, roger.

Lindbergh Tower: Zebra two, tower.

Zebra 3: Zebra three, tower.

Zebra 2: Tower, Zebra two, do you have traffic [unintelligible]?

Lindbergh Tower: Zebra two, tower, negative. We just want to make sure that the runway’s open. Is the runway open yet?

Zebra 2: Zebra two, affirmative, shows the runway open at this time. And I will follow the aircraft on taxiway Bravo.

Lindbergh Tower: Zebra two, roger, thank you.

Lindbergh Tower: Southwest sixty-two-forty-four, tower, you ready to go?

SWA6244: We’re ready, six-two-forty-four

Lindbergh Tower: Southwest sixty-two-forty-four, one three five zero at eight. Runway two-seven, cleared for take-off.

SWA6244: Two-seven cleared to go, Southwest six-two-forty-four.

Lindbergh Tower: Southwest sixty-two-forty-four, cancel take-off clearance. Hold short two-seven.

SWA6244: We’re already past the hold short line, Southwest six-two-forty-four.

Lindbergh Tower: Southwest sixty-two-forty-four, roger, exit runway two-seven at Charlie two. Hold short of Charlie one.

SWA6244: Exit Charlie two, hold short Charlie one. Southwest sixty-two-forty-four.

Lindbergh Tower: Southwest sixty-two-forty-four, disregard that. Runway two-seven cleared for takeoff. Sorry for the confusion.

SWA6244: Two-seven, cleared for take-off. Southwest sixty-two-forty-four.