Air carrier widebody transport on north atlantic asked to displace course and then given vectors bec...

Attributes
ACN	105806
Time
Date	198903
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hto
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 39000 msl bound upper : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czqm
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	105800
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other other

Narrative:

Flight from madrid, spain, to jfk was at cruise with a speed of .80 mach. Moncton center requested that we increase to .82. We advised them that we were fuel critical and would prefer not to speed up. They then asked us to parallel offset our course 10 mi to the right. We programmed the offset and the navigation display showed the correct new course. However, the digital display showed an offset first of 14 mi, then 8.5 mi. We asked moncton center if the distance looked ok to them, and they said that it did not and proceeded to give us radar vectors all over the place, causing us to use even more fuel than if we had increased speed to begin with. They then asked us if we could navigation to a point 15 mi north of hto. We programmed a place/bearing/distance west/P and proceeded. Moncton then said that it looked improper to them and referenced their comments to air carrier B, the aircraft that was overtaking us. Since we had no way of seeing his relative course, we relied on our navigation display, which seemed accurate. Moncton then, in an urgent voice, issued us an immediate descent. Before I could even dial in the new altitude in the MCP, the controller repeated the urgent call with an admonishing 'now.' we complied with every instruction from moncton from the beginning. When later we talked to ZBW they advised us that moncton told them to tell us that they were writing the incident up as a navigation error. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: determined date of occurrence. Reporter could not understand controller problem because they were following vectors from center, so how could they make a navigation error? Confirmed their visibility display was accurate when they were in close to VOR to check it. Wondered why center did not vector the aircraft that was doing the overtaking. Per far overtaking aircraft has right and overtaking should be vectored. Also thought controller might have been new on atlantic from his procedures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ON NORTH ATLANTIC ASKED TO DISPLACE COURSE AND THEN GIVEN VECTORS BECAUSE OF OVERTAKING TRAFFIC BEING WRITTEN UP AS NAVIGATION ERROR.

Narrative: FLT FROM MADRID, SPAIN, TO JFK WAS AT CRUISE WITH A SPD OF .80 MACH. MONCTON CENTER REQUESTED THAT WE INCREASE TO .82. WE ADVISED THEM THAT WE WERE FUEL CRITICAL AND WOULD PREFER NOT TO SPD UP. THEY THEN ASKED US TO PARALLEL OFFSET OUR COURSE 10 MI TO THE RIGHT. WE PROGRAMMED THE OFFSET AND THE NAV DISPLAY SHOWED THE CORRECT NEW COURSE. HOWEVER, THE DIGITAL DISPLAY SHOWED AN OFFSET FIRST OF 14 MI, THEN 8.5 MI. WE ASKED MONCTON CENTER IF THE DISTANCE LOOKED OK TO THEM, AND THEY SAID THAT IT DID NOT AND PROCEEDED TO GIVE US RADAR VECTORS ALL OVER THE PLACE, CAUSING US TO USE EVEN MORE FUEL THAN IF WE HAD INCREASED SPD TO BEGIN WITH. THEY THEN ASKED US IF WE COULD NAV TO A POINT 15 MI N OF HTO. WE PROGRAMMED A PLACE/BEARING/DISTANCE W/P AND PROCEEDED. MONCTON THEN SAID THAT IT LOOKED IMPROPER TO THEM AND REFERENCED THEIR COMMENTS TO ACR B, THE ACFT THAT WAS OVERTAKING US. SINCE WE HAD NO WAY OF SEEING HIS RELATIVE COURSE, WE RELIED ON OUR NAV DISPLAY, WHICH SEEMED ACCURATE. MONCTON THEN, IN AN URGENT VOICE, ISSUED US AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT. BEFORE I COULD EVEN DIAL IN THE NEW ALT IN THE MCP, THE CTLR REPEATED THE URGENT CALL WITH AN ADMONISHING 'NOW.' WE COMPLIED WITH EVERY INSTRUCTION FROM MONCTON FROM THE BEGINNING. WHEN LATER WE TALKED TO ZBW THEY ADVISED US THAT MONCTON TOLD THEM TO TELL US THAT THEY WERE WRITING THE INCIDENT UP AS A NAV ERROR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: DETERMINED DATE OF OCCURRENCE. RPTR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND CTLR PROB BECAUSE THEY WERE FOLLOWING VECTORS FROM CENTER, SO HOW COULD THEY MAKE A NAV ERROR? CONFIRMED THEIR VIS DISPLAY WAS ACCURATE WHEN THEY WERE IN CLOSE TO VOR TO CHK IT. WONDERED WHY CENTER DID NOT VECTOR THE ACFT THAT WAS DOING THE OVERTAKING. PER FAR OVERTAKING ACFT HAS RIGHT AND OVERTAKING SHOULD BE VECTORED. ALSO THOUGHT CTLR MIGHT HAVE BEEN NEW ON ATLANTIC FROM HIS PROCS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Air carrier widebody transport on north atlantic asked to displace course and then given vectors because of overtaking traffic being written up as navigation error.