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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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2 air carrier aircraft cross through each other's assigned altitude in response to a TCASII RA resulting in the controller reissuing altitude assignment to the descending aircraft who had climbed instead of descending.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 254192 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199310 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pxt |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 254192 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 253530 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 13200 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I gave air carrier X 'pilot's discretion to FL270, expect to cross ridgy at FL240.' pilot's readback correct. Air carrier X was nebound on WARRD4 arrival, destined ewr. Air carrier Y was swbound on J37 J191 pxt ARGAL2 rdu at FL260. Air carrier X started out of his cruising altitude of FL370, descending to FL270. I called traffic via merging target procedures per 7110.65. As I called the traffic to air carrier Y, I noticed air carrier X mode C at FL266. Before I could question air carrier Y about his altitude, air carrier X responded, 'we have a TCASII RA, we're descending.' before, I could respond, air carrier Y said, 'we have a TCASII resolution also, we're climbing!' the 2 aircraft descended and climbed through each other's altitude, within 15 degrees of being head on. The ntap showed the closest point of loss of separation at approximately 2.2 mi and 300 ft. Supplemental information from acn 253640: ZDC advised us that there was traffic at FL270 at our 12-12:30 position. We were level at FL260 and began looking for the traffic. Next we received a TA on TCASII. We watched as the traffic was continuing a descent through FL270 and was closing fast at our 12:30 position. At 4 mi we received an RA to 'climb.' traffic was now 200 ft above us and descending. The captain initiated the required climb as I told the controller of the RA and that we were climbing. She (the controller) said to level off at FL270, and we did. The other aircraft said they received an RA as well. We never visually could see our traffic but estimate that it passed off our right at 2 mi and 1000 ft below us.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 2 ACR ACFT CROSS THROUGH EACH OTHER'S ASSIGNED ALT IN RESPONSE TO A TCASII RA RESULTING IN THE CTLR REISSUING ALT ASSIGNMENT TO THE DSNDING ACFT WHO HAD CLBED INSTEAD OF DSNDING.
Narrative: I GAVE ACR X 'PLT'S DISCRETION TO FL270, EXPECT TO CROSS RIDGY AT FL240.' PLT'S READBACK CORRECT. ACR X WAS NEBOUND ON WARRD4 ARR, DESTINED EWR. ACR Y WAS SWBOUND ON J37 J191 PXT ARGAL2 RDU AT FL260. ACR X STARTED OUT OF HIS CRUISING ALT OF FL370, DSNDING TO FL270. I CALLED TFC VIA MERGING TARGET PROCS PER 7110.65. AS I CALLED THE TFC TO ACR Y, I NOTICED ACR X MODE C AT FL266. BEFORE I COULD QUESTION ACR Y ABOUT HIS ALT, ACR X RESPONDED, 'WE HAVE A TCASII RA, WE'RE DSNDING.' BEFORE, I COULD RESPOND, ACR Y SAID, 'WE HAVE A TCASII RESOLUTION ALSO, WE'RE CLBING!' THE 2 ACFT DSNDED AND CLBED THROUGH EACH OTHER'S ALT, WITHIN 15 DEGS OF BEING HEAD ON. THE NTAP SHOWED THE CLOSEST POINT OF LOSS OF SEPARATION AT APPROX 2.2 MI AND 300 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 253640: ZDC ADVISED US THAT THERE WAS TFC AT FL270 AT OUR 12-12:30 POS. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL260 AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE TFC. NEXT WE RECEIVED A TA ON TCASII. WE WATCHED AS THE TFC WAS CONTINUING A DSCNT THROUGH FL270 AND WAS CLOSING FAST AT OUR 12:30 POS. AT 4 MI WE RECEIVED AN RA TO 'CLB.' TFC WAS NOW 200 FT ABOVE US AND DSNDING. THE CAPT INITIATED THE REQUIRED CLB AS I TOLD THE CTLR OF THE RA AND THAT WE WERE CLBING. SHE (THE CTLR) SAID TO LEVEL OFF AT FL270, AND WE DID. THE OTHER ACFT SAID THEY RECEIVED AN RA AS WELL. WE NEVER VISUALLY COULD SEE OUR TFC BUT ESTIMATE THAT IT PASSED OFF OUR R AT 2 MI AND 1000 FT BELOW US.
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.