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Air carrier-large transport was given amended clearance altitude assignment in error resulting in less than standard separation from opposite direction air carrier on same airway.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 108101 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198904 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ott |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j61 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 1250 |
| ASRS Report | 108101 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 108092 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
While operating xx flight iga (iad-sju) on J61 just prior to eddys intersection, dca ATC on frequency 133.82 asked xx flight ica and our flight what would be the altitude capability on the oceanic routes. Flight ica was approximately 20 NM ahead of us. Flight ica responded he could maintain FL350 at bacus and FLT370 at tallo. We responded with the same capability. The controller then cleared flight ica to climb and and cross bacus at FL350 and cross tallo at FL370. Flight ica acknowledged this clearance. A third aircraft, air carrier igt, requested to maintain FL260. The controller said, 'oh, you changed your mind. Ok, air carrier iga maintain FL260.' the controller then cleared xx iga (our flight) to climb and maintain FL310. We acknowledged this clearance and reported 'xx iga out of 280 for 310.' shortly thereafter the controller asked, 'xx iga, what is your altitude?' we responded, 'xx iga climbing through 29.8 for 310.' the controller said, 'descend immediately to FL290 for conflicting air carrier Y traffic at 10 O'clock and 4 mi at 310.' controller informed that xx iga had not been cleared to FL310, and that the clearance was for xx ica. We then informed the controller that he had previously cleared xx ica to FL350 at bacus and FL370 at tallo and that he had given us the climb clearance to FL310 and we had acknowledged it. Xx ica said that they concurred with that. The controller then said maybe he had given the clearance to air carrier iga (who had decided to maintain FL260 prior to xx iga climb clearance). The controller then informed us that he would have to pull the tapes and that he was going to file an altitude excursion report. This incident again points out the dangers of aircraft operating with similar call signs to both pilots and controllers. This time I definitely feel the controller made the error.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR-LGT WAS GIVEN AMENDED CLRNC ALT ASSIGNMENT IN ERROR RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACR ON SAME AIRWAY.
Narrative: WHILE OPERATING XX FLT IGA (IAD-SJU) ON J61 JUST PRIOR TO EDDYS INTXN, DCA ATC ON FREQ 133.82 ASKED XX FLT ICA AND OUR FLT WHAT WOULD BE THE ALT CAPABILITY ON THE OCEANIC ROUTES. FLT ICA WAS APPROX 20 NM AHEAD OF US. FLT ICA RESPONDED HE COULD MAINTAIN FL350 AT BACUS AND FLT370 AT TALLO. WE RESPONDED WITH THE SAME CAPABILITY. THE CTLR THEN CLRED FLT ICA TO CLB AND AND CROSS BACUS AT FL350 AND CROSS TALLO AT FL370. FLT ICA ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC. A THIRD ACFT, ACR IGT, REQUESTED TO MAINTAIN FL260. THE CTLR SAID, 'OH, YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND. OK, ACR IGA MAINTAIN FL260.' THE CTLR THEN CLRED XX IGA (OUR FLT) TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL310. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC AND RPTED 'XX IGA OUT OF 280 FOR 310.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CTLR ASKED, 'XX IGA, WHAT IS YOUR ALT?' WE RESPONDED, 'XX IGA CLBING THROUGH 29.8 FOR 310.' THE CTLR SAID, 'DSND IMMEDIATELY TO FL290 FOR CONFLICTING ACR Y TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 4 MI AT 310.' CTLR INFORMED THAT XX IGA HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO FL310, AND THAT THE CLRNC WAS FOR XX ICA. WE THEN INFORMED THE CTLR THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY CLRED XX ICA TO FL350 AT BACUS AND FL370 AT TALLO AND THAT HE HAD GIVEN US THE CLB CLRNC TO FL310 AND WE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED IT. XX ICA SAID THAT THEY CONCURRED WITH THAT. THE CTLR THEN SAID MAYBE HE HAD GIVEN THE CLRNC TO ACR IGA (WHO HAD DECIDED TO MAINTAIN FL260 PRIOR TO XX IGA CLB CLRNC). THE CTLR THEN INFORMED US THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO PULL THE TAPES AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO FILE AN ALT EXCURSION RPT. THIS INCIDENT AGAIN POINTS OUT THE DANGERS OF ACFT OPERATING WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS TO BOTH PLTS AND CTLRS. THIS TIME I DEFINITELY FEEL THE CTLR MADE THE ERROR.
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.