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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Acron pacific oceanic awy was given an immediate descent for traffic. Flight crew delayed descent due to opposite direction traffic sighted below their aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 166138 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199012 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ijt |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 39000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : pacific enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : rjtg |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11800 flight time type : 5200 |
| ASRS Report | 166138 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 2000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
Assigned FL370 initially. Subsequently assigned FL390 by tokyo ATC after initial level off. Had been level at FL390 for more than 1.5 hours when 8 mins north of omlet (while on southerly course was selcaled by tokyo radio. Received clearance to 'descend and maintain FL370 immediately due to traffic.' while acknowledging clearance, observed opp direction traffic, a widebody transport Y, maintaining FL370. I informed tokyo that I had traffic in sight a widebody transport at FL370 and would maintain FL390. Tokyo said 'negative, descend immediately to FL370 for traffic.' by this time traffic had cleared so I began a descent to FL370 and reported level. A position report was made at omlet to tokyo and honolulu arinc (fir). When we were inrange of guam cerap we asked center what traffic he had sent north in the last hour or so and he said one at FL350 and one at FL370. Why would tokyo want to descend us into oncoming traffic? This type of occurrence is more and more frequent on oceanic rtes. This is my second in 3 yrs, the first being in the manila fir. Some pilots I know are starting to fly plus or minus 300' just to avoid something like this. These north/south rtes between japan, guam and australia are very busy with everyone struggling to get higher altitudes for the long hauls. It seems that communications between controling agencies might be the weak link. Occurrences seem to happen near the fir boundaries. By the way I do not advocate the plus or minus 300' gauge, but it is out there.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACRON PACIFIC OCEANIC AWY WAS GIVEN AN IMMEDIATE DESCENT FOR TRAFFIC. FLT CREW DELAYED DESCENT DUE TO OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC SIGHTED BELOW THEIR ACFT.
Narrative: ASSIGNED FL370 INITIALLY. SUBSEQUENTLY ASSIGNED FL390 BY TOKYO ATC AFTER INITIAL LEVEL OFF. HAD BEEN LEVEL AT FL390 FOR MORE THAN 1.5 HRS WHEN 8 MINS N OF OMLET (WHILE ON SOUTHERLY COURSE WAS SELCALED BY TOKYO RADIO. RECEIVED CLRNC TO 'DSND AND MAINTAIN FL370 IMMEDIATELY DUE TO TFC.' WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING CLRNC, OBSERVED OPP DIRECTION TFC, A WDB Y, MAINTAINING FL370. I INFORMED TOKYO THAT I HAD TFC IN SIGHT A WDB AT FL370 AND WOULD MAINTAIN FL390. TOKYO SAID 'NEGATIVE, DSND IMMEDIATELY TO FL370 FOR TFC.' BY THIS TIME TFC HAD CLRED SO I BEGAN A DSNT TO FL370 AND RPTED LEVEL. A POS RPT WAS MADE AT OMLET TO TOKYO AND HONOLULU ARINC (FIR). WHEN WE WERE INRANGE OF GUAM CERAP WE ASKED CTR WHAT TFC HE HAD SENT N IN THE LAST HR OR SO AND HE SAID ONE AT FL350 AND ONE AT FL370. WHY WOULD TOKYO WANT TO DSND US INTO ONCOMING TFC? THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE IS MORE AND MORE FREQUENT ON OCEANIC RTES. THIS IS MY SEC IN 3 YRS, THE FIRST BEING IN THE MANILA FIR. SOME PLTS I KNOW ARE STARTING TO FLY PLUS OR MINUS 300' JUST TO AVOID SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THESE N/S RTES BTWN JAPAN, GUAM AND AUSTRALIA ARE VERY BUSY WITH EVERYONE STRUGGLING TO GET HIGHER ALTS FOR THE LONG HAULS. IT SEEMS THAT COMS BTWN CTLING AGENCIES MIGHT BE THE WEAK LINK. OCCURRENCES SEEM TO HAPPEN NEAR THE FIR BOUNDARIES. BY THE WAY I DO NOT ADVOCATE THE PLUS OR MINUS 300' GAUGE, BUT IT IS OUT THERE.
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.