Narrative:

The flight associated with this incident was a customer production test flight of widebody transport for air carrier airlines, using the call sign of widebody transport X. The flight was filed as, and cleared to operate, VFR on top to the southwest and west of paine field. The flight departed pae airport and proceeded to VFR on top conditions southwest of paine field to carry out low speed tests of the widebody transport flap system. The flight was under the radar control of seattle ARTCC for the entire flight (except for a brief time when under whidbey approach control) until handoff to paine tower. Nearing completion of the widebody transport flap tests, the flight was approximately 30 mi wnw of paine field, talking to seattle center on 125.1, and then 134.95. While maintaining VFR on top, we were handoff whidbey approach control on 118.2. I then called for recovery to paine field and was cleared to proceed 'direct to ritts, direct paine, maintain VFR on top' (ritts is the OM and the call in point for paine tower approximately 8 mi from the field). We turned eastbound towards ritts and began to descend. We were then handoff to seattle center sector on 125.1 (which is not normally used near ritts) and again were cleared 'direct ritts, direct paine, maintain VFR on top'. I thought it unusual to be given a VFR on top clearance again that close to ritts in the approach phase (seattle center is the de facto approach control for paine field) and expected to receive a hard altitude assignment, but none was forthcoming. No further instructions from seattle center were received. I was becoming concerned about this and our proximity to the call in point to paine tower and called seattle center for clearance to switch to tower frequency. We continued per our last ATC clearance to ritts, then paine, and maintained VFR on top. After a second call to seattle center, we were cleared by the sector controller on 125.1 to switch to tower frequency. Widebody transport X called paine tower 'approaching ritts inbound, full stop, runway 16'. We called over ritts and was instructed to 'call the shoreline'. We had observed a twin engine light small transport Y approximately 1-1 1/2 mi ahead and slightly to the right, proceeding towards runway 16. I was very concerned at this point that seattle center would have allowed us, under IFR control, to proceed to ritts and then tower frequency without so much as TA concerning small transport Y at our 12 O'clock position, which was now less than the customary 3 mi min separation between aircraft. The tower asked if we were VFR, and I told them that 'we've been IFR the whole way, we're inside ritts inbound, full stop'. The tower broke small transport Y off to the west, and we reported that we 'had him in sight breaking off to the right'. We were cleared to land. The tower asked us to 'verify you're IFR'. We confirmed that, and repeated that 'we were cleared to ritts, then paine field and handoff to you guys'. We continued the approach and landed. After landing, paine ground control told us that seattle center had never given then an 'inbound' on us and small transport Y was IFR. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the incident was investigated by FAA and a pilot deviation had been filed. After investigation it was determined that nuw approach control had told the center widebody transport X was VFR and not IFR VFR on top. The center controller then failed to provide IFR separation on approach to pae airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB X HAD LTSS FROM SMT Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: THE FLT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT WAS A CUSTOMER PRODUCTION TEST FLT OF WDB FOR ACR AIRLINES, USING THE CALL SIGN OF WDB X. THE FLT WAS FILED AS, AND CLRED TO OPERATE, VFR ON TOP TO THE SW AND W OF PAINE FIELD. THE FLT DEPARTED PAE ARPT AND PROCEEDED TO VFR ON TOP CONDITIONS SW OF PAINE FIELD TO CARRY OUT LOW SPD TESTS OF THE WDB FLAP SYS. THE FLT WAS UNDER THE RADAR CTL OF SEATTLE ARTCC FOR THE ENTIRE FLT (EXCEPT FOR A BRIEF TIME WHEN UNDER WHIDBEY APCH CTL) UNTIL HDOF TO PAINE TWR. NEARING COMPLETION OF THE WDB FLAP TESTS, THE FLT WAS APPROX 30 MI WNW OF PAINE FIELD, TALKING TO SEATTLE CENTER ON 125.1, AND THEN 134.95. WHILE MAINTAINING VFR ON TOP, WE WERE HDOF WHIDBEY APCH CTL ON 118.2. I THEN CALLED FOR RECOVERY TO PAINE FIELD AND WAS CLRED TO PROCEED 'DIRECT TO RITTS, DIRECT PAINE, MAINTAIN VFR ON TOP' (RITTS IS THE OM AND THE CALL IN POINT FOR PAINE TWR APPROX 8 MI FROM THE FIELD). WE TURNED EBOUND TOWARDS RITTS AND BEGAN TO DSND. WE WERE THEN HDOF TO SEATTLE CENTER SECTOR ON 125.1 (WHICH IS NOT NORMALLY USED NEAR RITTS) AND AGAIN WERE CLRED 'DIRECT RITTS, DIRECT PAINE, MAINTAIN VFR ON TOP'. I THOUGHT IT UNUSUAL TO BE GIVEN A VFR ON TOP CLRNC AGAIN THAT CLOSE TO RITTS IN THE APCH PHASE (SEATTLE CENTER IS THE DE FACTO APCH CTL FOR PAINE FIELD) AND EXPECTED TO RECEIVE A HARD ALT ASSIGNMENT, BUT NONE WAS FORTHCOMING. NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM SEATTLE CENTER WERE RECEIVED. I WAS BECOMING CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND OUR PROX TO THE CALL IN POINT TO PAINE TWR AND CALLED SEATTLE CENTER FOR CLRNC TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. WE CONTINUED PER OUR LAST ATC CLRNC TO RITTS, THEN PAINE, AND MAINTAINED VFR ON TOP. AFTER A SECOND CALL TO SEATTLE CENTER, WE WERE CLRED BY THE SECTOR CTLR ON 125.1 TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. WDB X CALLED PAINE TWR 'APCHING RITTS INBOUND, FULL STOP, RWY 16'. WE CALLED OVER RITTS AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'CALL THE SHORELINE'. WE HAD OBSERVED A TWIN ENG LIGHT SMT Y APPROX 1-1 1/2 MI AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY TO THE R, PROCEEDING TOWARDS RWY 16. I WAS VERY CONCERNED AT THIS POINT THAT SEATTLE CENTER WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US, UNDER IFR CTL, TO PROCEED TO RITTS AND THEN TWR FREQ WITHOUT SO MUCH AS TA CONCERNING SMT Y AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, WHICH WAS NOW LESS THAN THE CUSTOMARY 3 MI MIN SEPARATION BTWN ACFT. THE TWR ASKED IF WE WERE VFR, AND I TOLD THEM THAT 'WE'VE BEEN IFR THE WHOLE WAY, WE'RE INSIDE RITTS INBOUND, FULL STOP'. THE TWR BROKE SMT Y OFF TO THE W, AND WE RPTED THAT WE 'HAD HIM IN SIGHT BREAKING OFF TO THE R'. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. THE TWR ASKED US TO 'VERIFY YOU'RE IFR'. WE CONFIRMED THAT, AND REPEATED THAT 'WE WERE CLRED TO RITTS, THEN PAINE FIELD AND HDOF TO YOU GUYS'. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG, PAINE GND CTL TOLD US THAT SEATTLE CENTER HAD NEVER GIVEN THEN AN 'INBOUND' ON US AND SMT Y WAS IFR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE INCIDENT WAS INVESTIGATED BY FAA AND A PLTDEV HAD BEEN FILED. AFTER INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NUW APCH CTL HAD TOLD THE CENTER WDB X WAS VFR AND NOT IFR VFR ON TOP. THE CENTER CTLR THEN FAILED TO PROVIDE IFR SEPARATION ON APCH TO PAE ARPT.

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.