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Air carrier widebody transport is given enroute clearance at an occupied altitude with less than standard separation from same direction traffic. Enroute manual controller fails to pick up on operational error even though many position reports were given with that altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 126942 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198910 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tncf |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : tncf tracon : miq |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| 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 : 180 flight time total : 15400 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 126942 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 28000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
On the ground in maiquetia we were cleared by ground control from miq to mia via route UA315, FL280 #1 mares departure runway 9 sq 3522. When airborne miq departure (121.1) cleared us to FL310. At the miq/curacao boundary we changed to cur control (124.1) on initial contact we called level FL310 ETA pjg 123, dusan. Over pjg called pjg 123 level FL310 ETA dusani 456, veska. Over dusan called dusan 456 FL310 veska 789, cabo rojo. Over veska called veska 789 FL310 cabo rojo 1011. At this point cur control sent us over to santo domingo control 124.3. On contact with sdq control we were clear to descend to FL280. We were informed by sdq that cur control had told them that we had climbed to FL310 without permission. I assumed this was in response to sdq question as to why we were at 310. We asked what the problem was. Sdq said we had same direction traffic (air carrier) at FL310 6 min ahead. I believe the problem is that cur control thought we were at 280 even though we called several times (4) at FL310. Cur does not and has never read back position reports as long as I have been flying through their area, about 25 yrs.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR WDB IS GIVEN ENROUTE CLRNC AT AN OCCUPIED ALT WITH LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM SAME DIRECTION TRAFFIC. ENROUTE MANUAL CTLR FAILS TO PICK UP ON OPERATIONAL ERROR EVEN THOUGH MANY POSITION REPORTS WERE GIVEN WITH THAT ALT.
Narrative: ON THE GND IN MAIQUETIA WE WERE CLRED BY GND CTL FROM MIQ TO MIA VIA RTE UA315, FL280 #1 MARES DEP RWY 9 SQ 3522. WHEN AIRBORNE MIQ DEP (121.1) CLRED US TO FL310. AT THE MIQ/CURACAO BOUNDARY WE CHANGED TO CUR CTL (124.1) ON INITIAL CONTACT WE CALLED LEVEL FL310 ETA PJG 123, DUSAN. OVER PJG CALLED PJG 123 LEVEL FL310 ETA DUSANI 456, VESKA. OVER DUSAN CALLED DUSAN 456 FL310 VESKA 789, CABO ROJO. OVER VESKA CALLED VESKA 789 FL310 CABO ROJO 1011. AT THIS POINT CUR CTL SENT US OVER TO SANTO DOMINGO CTL 124.3. ON CONTACT WITH SDQ CTL WE WERE CLEAR TO DSND TO FL280. WE WERE INFORMED BY SDQ THAT CUR CTL HAD TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD CLIMBED TO FL310 WITHOUT PERMISSION. I ASSUMED THIS WAS IN RESPONSE TO SDQ QUESTION AS TO WHY WE WERE AT 310. WE ASKED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. SDQ SAID WE HAD SAME DIRECTION TFC (ACR) AT FL310 6 MIN AHEAD. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS THAT CUR CTL THOUGHT WE WERE AT 280 EVEN THOUGH WE CALLED SEVERAL TIMES (4) AT FL310. CUR DOES NOT AND HAS NEVER READ BACK POS RPTS AS LONG AS I HAVE BEEN FLYING THROUGH THEIR AREA, ABOUT 25 YRS.
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.