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Unknown VFR traffic was issued to a climbing IFR aircraft. Flight crew sees the other aircraft and turns to avoid a midair collision.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 158556 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199009 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bwz |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17900 msl bound upper : 17900 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 158556 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 2750 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While climbing through 15000' for FL180, just as ny departure was handing us off to ny center, departure advised us of an VFR traffic reporting an altitude of 17200' unverified at 2 O'clock, 6 mi. First officer advised the departure controller that we did not see the traffic and questioned with his tone of voice as to whether we should switch to nyc. Then another controller (on the same frequency) cleared us up to FL280 and instructed us to remain on his frequency and called the traffic at 12 O'clock and 3 mi, 17900' unverified. Shortly thereafter the first officer visly acquired the traffic on the nose approximately coalt the captain also picked up the traffic and instituted a 30 degree right bank and increased the pitch to 18 degrees nose up. We estimated we missed the traffic by approximately 700 to 300' and a 1/2 to 3/4 mi. West/O the assistance of the additional air traffic controller, a midair collision may have occurred. This may also have been the case had we switched frequencys to nyc when initially instructed and not questioned the conflicting traffic position. The situation was the result of encountering uncontrolled conflicting traffic during the handoff from departure control to ny center. Had the handoff actually occurred at that point, the continuity of advisories for the location of the conflict would have been lost. This situation was made to order for TCAS equipment. The crew agrees that a better system might be established for handoffs when conflicting traffic is a threat.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: UNKNOWN VFR TRAFFIC WAS ISSUED TO A CLIMBING IFR ACFT. FLC SEES THE OTHER ACFT AND TURNS TO AVOID A MIDAIR COLLISION.
Narrative: WHILE CLBING THROUGH 15000' FOR FL180, JUST AS NY DEP WAS HANDING US OFF TO NY CTR, DEP ADVISED US OF AN VFR TFC RPTING AN ALT OF 17200' UNVERIFIED AT 2 O'CLOCK, 6 MI. F/O ADVISED THE DEP CTLR THAT WE DID NOT SEE THE TFC AND QUESTIONED WITH HIS TONE OF VOICE AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD SWITCH TO NYC. THEN ANOTHER CTLR (ON THE SAME FREQ) CLRED US UP TO FL280 AND INSTRUCTED US TO REMAIN ON HIS FREQ AND CALLED THE TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 3 MI, 17900' UNVERIFIED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE F/O VISLY ACQUIRED THE TFC ON THE NOSE APPROX COALT THE CAPT ALSO PICKED UP THE TFC AND INSTITUTED A 30 DEG R BANK AND INCREASED THE PITCH TO 18 DEGS NOSE UP. WE ESTIMATED WE MISSED THE TFC BY APPROX 700 TO 300' AND A 1/2 TO 3/4 MI. W/O THE ASSISTANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL AIR TFC CTLR, A MIDAIR COLLISION MAY HAVE OCCURRED. THIS MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN THE CASE HAD WE SWITCHED FREQS TO NYC WHEN INITIALLY INSTRUCTED AND NOT QUESTIONED THE CONFLICTING TFC POS. THE SITUATION WAS THE RESULT OF ENCOUNTERING UNCTLED CONFLICTING TFC DURING THE HDOF FROM DEP CTL TO NY CTR. HAD THE HDOF ACTUALLY OCCURRED AT THAT POINT, THE CONTINUITY OF ADVISORIES FOR THE LOCATION OF THE CONFLICT WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST. THIS SITUATION WAS MADE TO ORDER FOR TCAS EQUIP. THE CREW AGREES THAT A BETTER SYS MIGHT BE ESTABLISHED FOR HDOFS WHEN CONFLICTING TFC IS A THREAT.
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.