Narrative:

As air carrier X approached stn (approximately 2 mi), I looked up to see an air carrier Y at our 2 O'clock, slightly above the horizon. Range about 2 mi. Air carrier X had just started its turn toward 5910N. The first officer steepened the turn with heading select. Simultaneously, scottish center called both us and air carrier Y with new headings. (270 degrees for us). Air carrier Y may have been in a climb as he appeared slightly higher than us. The first officer didn't see air carrier Y because it was behind his windshield post. I never saw him again! TCASII is not installed on this widebody transport yet, it would have been very handy! Scottish previously had tried to send us direct to 5910N, but we had to lose 5 mins for the coastout slot, so we stayed on course to stornoway, with his concurrence. Supplemental information from acn 224828: while crossing stn and starting a turn (to the left) toward the next en route fix (n5900w1000), the captain noticed an air carrier off our right side at approximately the same altitude and an estimated 2 mi away and about the same direction. He brought it to our attention and we both reached for the controls. At approximately the same time, the controller issued heading changes for both aircraft, air carrier to the right and us to the left. By that time, we had already initiated a left turn on our own. I had reached up and placed the autoplt in heading mode and rotated the heading bug, and believe it made the turn since it did not disengage. We saw air carrier making the right turn at about the same time and increased separation occurred in a very short time. Evasive action was taken but by means of a normal turn. Factors that had kept us out of the 'routine' up until that point were: 1. Starting from takeoff and through all phases of flight, the throttle levers were 'abnormally' out of rig which was a minor distraction but still distracting. 2. When we completed the navigation accuracy check, there was a little more than the normal error for such a short duration of flight. Not enough to be considered unreliable but a topic for some discussion. Upon receiving our oceanic clearance, we had a change in route which resulted in re-doing the FMS program, plotting charts, time estimates, etc. 4. ATC attempted to clear us direct to n5900w1000 some time prior to reaching stn. However, since that would have put us at 5910 several mins before our clearance 'not before time,' we requested and received clearance to proceed via flight plan route. Supplemental information from acn 225941: captain pointed out converging traffic from our 3 O'clock position. He increased our rate of turn (bank angle) in order to increase separation. At the same time, the other aircraft initiated its turn away, to its next point. Also, simultaneously with these events, center called with radar vectors to each aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y SAME ALT ASSIGNED. EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: AS ACR X APCHED STN (APPROX 2 MI), I LOOKED UP TO SEE AN ACR Y AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK, SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE HORIZON. RANGE ABOUT 2 MI. ACR X HAD JUST STARTED ITS TURN TOWARD 5910N. THE FO STEEPENED THE TURN WITH HDG SELECT. SIMULTANEOUSLY, SCOTTISH CTR CALLED BOTH US AND ACR Y WITH NEW HDGS. (270 DEGS FOR US). ACR Y MAY HAVE BEEN IN A CLB AS HE APPEARED SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN US. THE FO DIDN'T SEE ACR Y BECAUSE IT WAS BEHIND HIS WINDSHIELD POST. I NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN! TCASII IS NOT INSTALLED ON THIS WDB YET, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HANDY! SCOTTISH PREVIOUSLY HAD TRIED TO SEND US DIRECT TO 5910N, BUT WE HAD TO LOSE 5 MINS FOR THE COASTOUT SLOT, SO WE STAYED ON COURSE TO STORNOWAY, WITH HIS CONCURRENCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 224828: WHILE XING STN AND STARTING A TURN (TO THE L) TOWARD THE NEXT ENRTE FIX (N5900W1000), THE CAPT NOTICED AN ACR OFF OUR R SIDE AT APPROX THE SAME ALT AND AN ESTIMATED 2 MI AWAY AND ABOUT THE SAME DIRECTION. HE BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTN AND WE BOTH REACHED FOR THE CTLS. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME, THE CTLR ISSUED HDG CHANGES FOR BOTH ACFT, ACR TO THE R AND US TO THE L. BY THAT TIME, WE HAD ALREADY INITIATED A L TURN ON OUR OWN. I HAD REACHED UP AND PLACED THE AUTOPLT IN HDG MODE AND ROTATED THE HDG BUG, AND BELIEVE IT MADE THE TURN SINCE IT DID NOT DISENGAGE. WE SAW ACR MAKING THE R TURN AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND INCREASED SEPARATION OCCURRED IN A VERY SHORT TIME. EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BUT BY MEANS OF A NORMAL TURN. FACTORS THAT HAD KEPT US OUT OF THE 'ROUTINE' UP UNTIL THAT POINT WERE: 1. STARTING FROM TKOF AND THROUGH ALL PHASES OF FLT, THE THROTTLE LEVERS WERE 'ABNORMALLY' OUT OF RIG WHICH WAS A MINOR DISTR BUT STILL DISTRACTING. 2. WHEN WE COMPLETED THE NAV ACCURACY CHK, THERE WAS A LITTLE MORE THAN THE NORMAL ERROR FOR SUCH A SHORT DURATION OF FLT. NOT ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED UNRELIABLE BUT A TOPIC FOR SOME DISCUSSION. UPON RECEIVING OUR OCEANIC CLRNC, WE HAD A CHANGE IN RTE WHICH RESULTED IN RE-DOING THE FMS PROGRAM, PLOTTING CHARTS, TIME ESTIMATES, ETC. 4. ATC ATTEMPTED TO CLR US DIRECT TO N5900W1000 SOME TIME PRIOR TO REACHING STN. HOWEVER, SINCE THAT WOULD HAVE PUT US AT 5910 SEVERAL MINS BEFORE OUR CLRNC 'NOT BEFORE TIME,' WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO PROCEED VIA FLT PLAN RTE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 225941: CAPT POINTED OUT CONVERGING TFC FROM OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS. HE INCREASED OUR RATE OF TURN (BANK ANGLE) IN ORDER TO INCREASE SEPARATION. AT THE SAME TIME, THE OTHER ACFT INITIATED ITS TURN AWAY, TO ITS NEXT POINT. ALSO, SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THESE EVENTS, CTR CALLED WITH RADAR VECTORS TO EACH ACFT.

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.