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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Air carrier was issued a turn and a descent to avoid another aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 136295 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199002 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bdl |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3600 |
| ASRS Report | 136295 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error Intra Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
Left bos en route to bwi, just passed over bdl VOR on bos frequency 135.47. ATC advised next sector would not take handoff and advised us to turn to a 330 degree heading for vectors. After 1-2 mins, ATC advised us to change to bos frequency 125.57. We called and he acknowledged. After several mins (3-4) we called ATC to ask how much longer we were going to have to maintain this 330 degree heading. At that point he came back in a concerned voice, altitude alert, altitude alert, turn immediately to 270 degree and descend now to FL270 (we were maintaining FL280). Adding to the confusion, the controller was not calling us by our proper call sign. Several more mins had lapsed and the same controller was giving another air carrier altitude alert, heading change and altitude change. Tower air carrier took off in front of us at bos but I don't think he was our conflicting traffic. He was also giving a heading change for vectors from the previous controller (bos 135.47) because of no handoff. It appears no coordination between the 2 sectors or why the controller (bos 135.47) would turn our flight and the air carrier flight into conflicting traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that first officer saw the other aircraft pass them and identified it as an air carrier. The delay vector lasted for approximately 4 mins before being turned back towards the previously saturated sector. Controller was extremely busy at the time. Reporter believes ATC system not as safe as it needs to be today. Frequency congestion is a big problem along with system saturation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR WAS ISSUED A TURN AND A DESCENT TO AVOID ANOTHER ACFT.
Narrative: LEFT BOS ENRTE TO BWI, JUST PASSED OVER BDL VOR ON BOS FREQ 135.47. ATC ADVISED NEXT SECTOR WOULD NOT TAKE HANDOFF AND ADVISED US TO TURN TO A 330 DEG HDG FOR VECTORS. AFTER 1-2 MINS, ATC ADVISED US TO CHANGE TO BOS FREQ 125.57. WE CALLED AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED. AFTER SEVERAL MINS (3-4) WE CALLED ATC TO ASK HOW MUCH LONGER WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO MAINTAIN THIS 330 DEG HDG. AT THAT POINT HE CAME BACK IN A CONCERNED VOICE, ALT ALERT, ALT ALERT, TURN IMMEDIATELY TO 270 DEG AND DSND NOW TO FL270 (WE WERE MAINTAINING FL280). ADDING TO THE CONFUSION, THE CTLR WAS NOT CALLING US BY OUR PROPER CALL SIGN. SEVERAL MORE MINS HAD LAPSED AND THE SAME CTLR WAS GIVING ANOTHER ACR ALT ALERT, HDG CHANGE AND ALT CHANGE. TWR ACR TOOK OFF IN FRONT OF US AT BOS BUT I DON'T THINK HE WAS OUR CONFLICTING TFC. HE WAS ALSO GIVING A HDG CHANGE FOR VECTORS FROM THE PREVIOUS CTLR (BOS 135.47) BECAUSE OF NO HANDOFF. IT APPEARS NO COORD BETWEEN THE 2 SECTORS OR WHY THE CTLR (BOS 135.47) WOULD TURN OUR FLT AND THE ACR FLT INTO CONFLICTING TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES THAT F/O SAW THE OTHER ACFT PASS THEM AND IDENTIFIED IT AS AN ACR. THE DELAY VECTOR LASTED FOR APPROX 4 MINS BEFORE BEING TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE PREVIOUSLY SATURATED SECTOR. CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AT THE TIME. REPORTER BELIEVES ATC SYSTEM NOT AS SAFE AS IT NEEDS TO BE TODAY. FREQ CONGESTION IS A BIG PROBLEM ALONG WITH SYSTEM SATURATION.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.