Air carrier receives descent, speed restriction and heading change at same time. Heading would take ...

Attributes
ACN	219847
Time
Date	199208
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : das airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah tracon : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 116 flight time total : 8711 flight time type : 1233
ASRS Report	219847
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 10500 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the captain on the flight and the PF. The first officer (PNF) was assisting and 'working' the radios. While approaching das from the north, the first officer and I observed visually and on the WX radar a developing line of thunderstorms running in a line southwest to northeast in the vicinity of das. The flight received several different headings and altitude assignments as the clear merged us with the other inbound flts to iah. We passed over das at 10000 ft and at approximately 5 DME were given instructions by approach control to descend to 7000 ft, slow to 210 KTS and turn to a heading of 220 degree. The first officer read back the clearance as it was given, reset the altitude on the flight director to 7000 ft and then directed his attention back to the WX radar because the 220 degree heading would take us toward the line of thunderstorms. I began to comply with the approach controls' instructions except that I thought the controller had said 320 degree. I didn't question the heading because it was taking us away from the intense storms south of us and with the first officer's attention directed at the radar he missed that I was turning to the wrong heading. The plane had just rolled out on the 320 degree when approach control asked what our heading was. We told him and he advised us that there was departure traffic north of us. At the same instant our TCASII issued a TA. The first officer and I immediately checked the TCASII screen and located the traffic and the first officer got a visual position on the other airplane. The controller gave the other aircraft a northeast heading and then instructed me to turn to 230 degree and expedite a descent to 4000 ft and I immediately complied. Our TCASII never gave us a RA and the first officer estimated that our closest proximity to the other aircraft was about 1000 ft below and 2 mi lateral separation. I leveled the aircraft at 4000 ft and from that point on to landing the flight was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR RECEIVES DSCNT, SPD RESTRICTION AND HDG CHANGE AT SAME TIME. HDG WOULD TAKE THEM DIRECTLY INTO LINE OF TSTMS. CAPT ASSUMES HDG TO BE 100 DEG MORE THAN ASSIGNED. CTLR CATCHES ERROR AS DOES TCASII.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON THE FLT AND THE PF. THE FO (PNF) WAS ASSISTING AND 'WORKING' THE RADIOS. WHILE APCHING DAS FROM THE N, THE FO AND I OBSERVED VISUALLY AND ON THE WX RADAR A DEVELOPING LINE OF TSTMS RUNNING IN A LINE SW TO NE IN THE VICINITY OF DAS. THE FLT RECEIVED SEVERAL DIFFERENT HDGS AND ALT ASSIGNMENTS AS THE CLR MERGED US WITH THE OTHER INBOUND FLTS TO IAH. WE PASSED OVER DAS AT 10000 FT AND AT APPROX 5 DME WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS BY APCH CTL TO DSND TO 7000 FT, SLOW TO 210 KTS AND TURN TO A HDG OF 220 DEG. THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC AS IT WAS GIVEN, RESET THE ALT ON THE FLT DIRECTOR TO 7000 FT AND THEN DIRECTED HIS ATTN BACK TO THE WX RADAR BECAUSE THE 220 DEG HDG WOULD TAKE US TOWARD THE LINE OF TSTMS. I BEGAN TO COMPLY WITH THE APCH CTLS' INSTRUCTIONS EXCEPT THAT I THOUGHT THE CTLR HAD SAID 320 DEG. I DIDN'T QUESTION THE HDG BECAUSE IT WAS TAKING US AWAY FROM THE INTENSE STORMS S OF US AND WITH THE FO'S ATTN DIRECTED AT THE RADAR HE MISSED THAT I WAS TURNING TO THE WRONG HDG. THE PLANE HAD JUST ROLLED OUT ON THE 320 DEG WHEN APCH CTL ASKED WHAT OUR HDG WAS. WE TOLD HIM AND HE ADVISED US THAT THERE WAS DEP TFC N OF US. AT THE SAME INSTANT OUR TCASII ISSUED A TA. THE FO AND I IMMEDIATELY CHKED THE TCASII SCREEN AND LOCATED THE TFC AND THE FO GOT A VISUAL POS ON THE OTHER AIRPLANE. THE CTLR GAVE THE OTHER ACFT A NE HDG AND THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN TO 230 DEG AND EXPEDITE A DSCNT TO 4000 FT AND I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED. OUR TCASII NEVER GAVE US A RA AND THE FO ESTIMATED THAT OUR CLOSEST PROX TO THE OTHER ACFT WAS ABOUT 1000 FT BELOW AND 2 MI LATERAL SEPARATION. I LEVELED THE ACFT AT 4000 FT AND FROM THAT POINT ON TO LNDG THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.

Air carrier receives descent, speed restriction and heading change at same time. Heading would take them directly into line of thunderstorms. Captain assumes heading to be 100 degree more than assigned. Controller catches error as does TCASII.