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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Air carrier medium large transport leveled off in response to TCASII RA. Small transport traffic sighted 500 ft above. Both aircraft were in the dca TCA but no traffic advisory was given.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 188633 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199109 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dca |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dca |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 188633 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 3000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error other |
Narrative:
We departed dca on the 185 degree radial with clearance to 4000 ft. About 5 mi out we were given a heading of 230 degree and 9000 ft. Established on that heading and passing 5600 ft TCASII issued a TA (traffic advisory). We looked at the TCAS, it showed traffic at 12 O'clock and 900 ft above us and the altitude difference was decreasing rapidly (900,800, etc, we were climbing at 3500 FPM). We looked up to get visual contact and TCAS issued a 'RA' (resolution advisory) to descend and then to monitor vertical speed, we levelled at 6000 ft while following the RA maneuver we gained visual contact with the traffic, an small transport at 6500 ft. We were never told of the traffic by departure control but told him we levelled at 6000 and why. He reassigned us to 6000 ft. When we gained visual contact we also made a small left turn so as not to go directly below the traffic. Departure control later apologized for the incident. Without TCAS our separation would have been much, much less than 500 ft and 1/2 mi. TCAS works!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR MLG LEVELED OFF IN RESPONSE TO TCASII RA. SMT TFC SIGHTED 500 FT ABOVE. BOTH ACFT WERE IN THE DCA TCA BUT NO TFC ADVISORY WAS GIVEN.
Narrative: WE DEPARTED DCA ON THE 185 DEG RADIAL WITH CLRNC TO 4000 FT. ABOUT 5 MI OUT WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 230 DEG AND 9000 FT. ESTABLISHED ON THAT HDG AND PASSING 5600 FT TCASII ISSUED A TA (TFC ADVISORY). WE LOOKED AT THE TCAS, IT SHOWED TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 900 FT ABOVE US AND THE ALT DIFFERENCE WAS DECREASING RAPIDLY (900,800, ETC, WE WERE CLBING AT 3500 FPM). WE LOOKED UP TO GET VISUAL CONTACT AND TCAS ISSUED A 'RA' (RESOLUTION ADVISORY) TO DSND AND THEN TO MONITOR VERT SPD, WE LEVELLED AT 6000 FT WHILE FOLLOWING THE RA MANEUVER WE GAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC, AN SMT AT 6500 FT. WE WERE NEVER TOLD OF THE TFC BY DEP CTL BUT TOLD HIM WE LEVELLED AT 6000 AND WHY. HE REASSIGNED US TO 6000 FT. WHEN WE GAINED VISUAL CONTACT WE ALSO MADE A SMALL L TURN SO AS NOT TO GO DIRECTLY BELOW THE TFC. DEP CTL LATER APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCIDENT. WITHOUT TCAS OUR SEPARATION WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH LESS THAN 500 FT AND 1/2 MI. TCAS WORKS!
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.